Sixty-two people registered as bone marrow donors during a Uniube and Uberaba Hemocenter campaign at Campus Aeroporto.
The action took place on Tuesday (7) and brought together students and staff from the university. The initiative was organized through a partnership between Uniube and the Regional Hemocenter of Uberaba, led by the extension project Compatible Friendship.
During the event, volunteers collected a 5 ml blood sample for inclusion in REDOME, Brazil’s National Registry of Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors. The database gathers information on potential compatible donors across the country.
Bone marrow donation drive expands awareness
Maria Theresa Cerávolo, coordinator of the Compatible Friendship project, said the campaign helps bring the subject closer to the university community. It also makes registration easier for people who do not have time to go to the hemocenter.
Many people still do not know what bone marrow donation is, or they do not have time to go to the Hemocenter. By bringing this opportunity to the campus, we make registration easier and encourage participation. The activity has been very successful, especially because it reaches young people between 18 and 35 years old, who make up most of the University’s students
Hematologist Ricardo Olivo from the Hemocenter stressed that increasing the number of registered donors is crucial for patients who rely on transplants. According to him, finding a compatible donor is still far from simple.
The partnership between the Hemocenter and Uniube is extremely important to expand the number of potential bone marrow donors. There are still many patients who depend on transplantation for treatment, and finding a compatible donor is not a simple process. Therefore, the greater the number of registered people, the higher the chances of identifying compatibility and saving lives. That is the main goal of this action
Uniube project targets young REDOME donors
Medical student Raissa Santos, who is part of the project, also highlighted the importance of the campaign. In her view, clear information helps remove doubts and encourages new registrations.
In donation, about 10% of the marrow is removed, with no risks to the donor. In about two weeks, that volume is fully restored. For the person receiving it, this donation represents a new chance at life. That 10% can mean 100% hope for someone in need
Event Info
- Action: bone marrow donor registration campaign
- Organizers: Uniube and Regional Hemocenter of Uberaba
- Project: Compatible Friendship
- Date: Tuesday (7)
- Location: Campus Aeroporto, Uniube
- Result: 62 registrations from students and staff
- Procedure: collection of a 5 ml blood sample for inclusion in REDOME
