What are you doing this Yom Kippur? Consider spending 10 minutes of your day giving a gift that could save a life.

(Exerpt from yomkippurproject.org: ) 

Leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood diseases are random killers. They can strike any of us at any time. For many, there is hope of a cure through a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant. That is, of course, if a matching donor can be found.

Gift of Life is one of North America’s public donor bone marrow and blood stem cell registries, and a world leader helping children and adults find the matches they need when they need them. An associate registry of the National Marrow Donor Program, Gift of Life is accredited by the World Marrow Donor Association.

Since tissue type is inherited, it is likely that a matching donor and recipient will share a similar ethnic background. In the early 1990’s there were so few Jews in the registry that Jewish patients had less than a 5% chance of finding a match. Today, because of Gift of Life’s targeted recruitment strategy in Jewish communities across the U.S., Jews have greater than a 70% chance of finding a match.

One in 200 Americans will need a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant in their lifetime. While 30% of patients can find a suitable donor from within their family, 70% must turn to the bone marrow registry to find a match.

Our congregation has partnered with Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism to bring an exciting and unique opportunity to help save lives: through a donor recruitment drive to be held on Yom Kippur at Temple Beth David of the South Shore, 1060 Randolph St, Canton, MA, from 1:30 – 4:00 PM (between Morning and Afternoon Services) on 10/4/14.

Potential donors will be entered into the Bone Marrow Registry. From the time you join the registry until your 61st birthday, you could be a donor for someone suffering from a life-threatening blood disease, and help save that person's life. Registration is simple: it requires a cheek swab and completion of a consent form. Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 in general good health.

The only way you will ever know if you can help save a life is by taking the first step and getting tested. The entire process takes less than ten minutes.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Eileen Harvey at harvey854@aol.com or visithttp://www.yomkippurproject.org.

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