CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – This Saturday, Clarksville residents Drs. Carol and Stan Montee are asking the public to consider accepting the life-saving challenge of becoming bone marrow donors for the sake of their 14-year-old daughter, Lauren Montee.
Lauren suffers from a condition known as aplastic anemia, which is caused by the failure of the blood stem cells in her bone marrow and the consequential decrease in the amount of platelets, as well as red and white blood cells her body is able to produce. This condition causes, along with other symptoms, a weakened immune system.
To cure her disease, which affects 1 in 3 million people, Lauren now needs a bone marrow transplant. Inspired by her need, her parents’ colleagues at Clarksville Dental Center became involved with national organization Be The Match, which aims to “connect patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant” by growing their registered list of possible donors.
At one of the five locations available in Clarksville on Saturday, participants will first fill out a consent form giving their personal contact information and then have each quarter of their mouths swabbed by volunteers working the event to determine their individual donor eligibility, in a process that will take mere minutes to complete.
It is preferred that donors are within the ages of 18 and 44, though Joan DeWald, practice administrator at Clarksville Dental Care Center encourages residents to give financial donations as well, which will be appreciated from those not within the age range. DeWald also said that the donations will be made to those with blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia, in addition to the aplastic anemia which affects Lauren Montee.
Clarksville Dental Center will hosting Be The Match events from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 at the following locations:
Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church, The Pinnacle Family Entertainment Center, Daymar Institute, North Central Institute, and Clarksville Dental Center.