VCU news

By Michael Ford and John McCarty

WHAT:         The Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center is teaming with patrons of the Jamie C. Hess Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Fund who are organizing a bone marrow drive at a Richmond Kickers soccer game with the visiting Virginia Beach Mariners. Proceeds from the game will benefit the Jamie Hess Fund. Two years ago 10-year-old Jamie Hess, an avid soccer fan, lost his own battle with leukemia.

                   The VCU Massey Cancer Center is coordinating a bone marrow drive prior to the 6 p.m. game. During halftime, Dr. John McCarty, director of VCU's Bone Marrow Transplant Program, is expected to make a few remarks about the value of donor registration, treatments and research.

WHERE:        University of Richmond Stadium, Maplewood Avenue & McCloy Street

WHEN:          April 30, 6-9 p.m.

WHO:          •     Dr. John McCarty, medical director, VCU Massey Cancer
                           Center Bone Marrow Transplant Program
                    •     Frances Hess, Jamie�s sister
                    •     Ashlee Perkins

For registration information for the bone marrow drive, contact Sylvia Wallace at (804) 213-4184 or Swallace@nmdp.org.

For more information about the VCU Bone Marrow Transplant Program, go to the program's website at www.vcuhealth.org/bmt.

MORE BACKGROUND:

Each year more than 30,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a disease that could be cured by a bone marrow transplant. Enlarging the pool of bone marrow donors improves the likelihood that doctors can successfully find a match for a patient seeking a life-saving transplant.

Founded in 1988 as a program within VCU's Massey Cancer Center, the Bone Marrow Transplant Program is Virginia's largest and only comprehensive bone marrow and stem cell transplantation program for adults and children performing these transplants from all available stem cell sources and is the largest pediatric bone marrow transplant program in Virginia.

The only state center that provides tandem bone marrow transplantation, the VCU BMTP offers intensive therapy with autologous – patient donated – and allogeneic – living related and unrelated donor � bone marrow transplantation support. The program also provides autologous blood stem cell support for hematological malignancies (acute & chronic leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, myeloma), breast cancer and other solid tumor malignancies.

                    The Bone Marrow Transplant program handles nearly 80 cases annually; about 15 percent of those involve pediatric patients. More than 150 patients have been invited to attend.