NMDP Celebrates 10,000th Unrelated Donor Transplant

MINNEAPOLIS—The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) has reached a new milestone: 10,000 unrelated donor transplants. “At our 10-year anniversary in 1997, we celebrated 6,000 unrelated transplants, but in just 3 years, we have increased that number to 10,000,” Dr. Dennis Confer, chief medical office, said in a news release. The program, which has a volunteer registry of more than 4 million potential donors, facilitates transplants for more than 120 patients each month, he said.

The NMDP has scheduled a month-long calendar of events in November for Marrow Awareness Month. The events will culminate in a tribute at the World Trade Center, New York, to celebrate both the 10,000th transplant milestone and the legacy of the late Admiral E.R. Zumwalt Jr., USN (Ret), a founding father of the NMDP and The Marrow Foundation.

For information on how to become a donor, call 1-800-MARROW-2 or visit online at www.marrow.org.