You could hold the cure for someone’s cancer right now, and you might not even know it.
On Thursday, October 1, Goodwin College will host a blood drive and a bone donor marrow screening as a tribute to one of its own community members. Goodwin psychology instructor Kristin “Nicole” Segovia was diagnosed with a form of leukemia over a year ago and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Currently no matching donors have been found for her on the global bone marrow donation registry. Donors of Middle Eastern descent are encouraged to participate.
The combination blood drive and bone marrow donor screening was the idea of Goodwin’s Curriculum Director for Psychology & Sociology Tammy Webb and Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Communications Dan Noonan, following an exchange on Facebook concerning Segovia’s condition.
“We have the space and facilities here on campus to make both the blood drive and bone marrow donor screening happen,” Noonan said, “and, while we’re hoping these efforts benefit Nicole directly, at least we will be able to shed some light on the overall critical need for donors by reaching out to our friends in the community.”
A Red Cross blood drive was already scheduled at Goodwin for October 1, so adding the marrow screening seemed a natural fit.
Be The Match, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping every patient get the life-saving transplant they need. The screening is a very simple procedure that involves a having cheek swab and completing some paperwork. Bone marrow donors must be between the ages of 18 and 44.
Both events will be held on October 1 in the Community Room of Goodwin College, One Riverside Drive, in East Hartford. The Red Cross blood drive hours are 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Those wishing to participate can pre-register for blood donation at www.redcrossblood.org and for bone marrow screening at www.ribc.org/bethematch. Walk-ins are also welcome.
Event: Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Donor Screening
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2015
Time: 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Location: Goodwin College Community Room, One Riverside Drive, East Hartford, CT
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.