UVa Football Program Participates in ?Get in the Game. Save A Life? Program
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Charlottesville, VA – First-year Virginia football coach Mike London and the Cavalier football team will take part in the team’s inaugural “Get in the Game. Save A Life” program. The testing drive helps to find matches to treat people with different types of blood and bone marrow cancers and benefits the Be The Match Foundation. The drive will take place Thursday, April 8 between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on the Newcomb Hall Patio between the University Bookstore and Newcomb Hall.
In addition to recruitment efforts prior to the drive, members of the Virginia football team will help with registration during the event.
The Be The Match Foundation raises funds to help patients in need of bone marrow transplants receive the treatment they need. Participation in the recruitment drive takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. To join, people need to be between the ages of 18 and 60, willing to donate to any patient in need, and meet health guidelines. Registration is simple, and involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical. If a match is found, the donor will asked to go to a local hospital to donate some of their blood.
For thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma, a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is their best or only hope for a cure. These patients depend on the Be The Match Registry to find a match – and a second chance at life.
Bone marrow donation is especially important to London. In 2003 he donated bone marrow to his daughter Ticynn, who had a rare blood disorder.
“Almost everyone has a relative, a friend, or knows a person who has been or is in need of medical attention and intervention,” London said. “There are people who are in need of a life-saving opportunity that perhaps you can provide. Don’t sit on the sidelines and watch and hope nothing happens to you or a loved one. Get in the game like I did and perhaps save a life. The best game plan in life is to be an active participant.”