[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 24, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 205--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF AFRICAN 
                  AMERICAN BONE MARROW AWARENESS MONTH

  Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. Isakson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 205

       Whereas a bone marrow or blood cell transplant is a 
     potentially life-saving treatment for patients with leukemia, 
     lymphoma, and other blood diseases;
       Whereas a bone marrow or blood cell transplant replaces a 
     patient's unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood-forming 
     cells from a volunteer donor;
       Whereas a patient who does not have a suitably matching 
     donor in the family may search the National Marrow Donor 
     Program Donor Registry for a donor;
       Whereas blood or cell samples from adult donors or cord 
     blood units are tested and the tissue or cell type is added 
     to the National Marrow Donor Program Donor Registry, and 
     physicians may search that registry when they need to find 
     donors whose tissue type matches their patients';
       Whereas African Americans make up 8 percent of, or more 
     than 550,000 of the 7,000,000 people currently on, the 
     National Marrow Donor Program Donor Registry;
       Whereas of the 35,000 people that have received transplants 
     since the inception of the National Marrow Donor Program 
     Donor Registry, only 1,500 have been African Americans;
       Whereas more than 70 life-threatening diseases can be 
     treated with a bone marrow transplant;
       Whereas there is a possibility that an African American 
     patient could match a donor from any racial or ethnic group, 
     but the most likely match is another African American;
       Whereas to become a volunteer donor, potential donors must 
     be between 18 and 60 years of age, meet health guidelines, 
     provide a small blood sample or swab of cheek cells to 
     determine the donor's tissue type, complete a brief health 
     questionnaire, and sign a consent form to have the tissue 
     type of the donor listed on the Donor Registry;
       Whereas the Bone Marrow Wish Organization, which is a 
     minority-run nonprofit organization based in Detroit that was 
     started by an actual bone marrow donor, is initiating 
     ``African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month'';
       Whereas the annual month of awareness would promote donor 
     awareness and increase the number of African Americans 
     registered with the National Marrow Donor Program throughout 
     the Nation; and
       Whereas July 2009 would be an appropriate month to observe 
     African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of African American Bone 
     Marrow Awareness Month;
       (2) urges the people of the United States to participate in 
     appropriate programs and activities with respect to bone 
     marrow awareness, including speaking with health care 
     professionals about bone marrow donation; and
       (3) urges all people of the United States to register to 
     become blood marrow donors and encourages all people of the 
     United States to organize blood marrow registration drives in 
     their communities.

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