(Chelsea Update would like to thank Holly Eliot for the information in this story.)
The June 25 bone marrow drive for Jan Cooper was a collaborative effort between members of the community, the Be the Match Program and U-M Transplant Center/Wolverines for Life.
One of the functions of the U-M Transplant Center/Wolverines for Life is to connect people who want to put together life-saving donations.
The Chelsea bone marrow drive, which took place during Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights in conjunction with the Wolverines For Life organization registered a total of 135 donors.
According to Bob Garypie, director of development and communications, U-M transplant Center, normally only a dozen or so people sign up.
Here’s how it happened.
Kim Klink happened to know Lynda Harwood of Gift of Life, who referred her to Holly Eliot from the Transplant Center.
Eliot put Klink in touch with Tarita Gibson of Be The Match, and then provided Klink with Be The Match materials and Wolverines for Life t-shirts and giveaways for her drive.
“I trained her (Klink) in doing the bone marrow screening and DNA swabbing. Tarita also met with her for further training. Then she and her group did all the rest,” Eliot said.
The number of donor is “truly awesome and newsworthy – it says a lot about our community and everyone associated with the drive,” he said.
Here are two more links to check out here and here.
Or, here’s a facebook page.
