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Siegrist looks for donor to“Be The Match”

Georgia Military College is looking to save lives March 29 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m, and if all goes well, a VSU nursing student may be one of the lives saved.

 GMC is hosting “Be The Match,” a bone marrow registry drive for people needing bone marrow transplants to help with  different forms of cancer. They are hoping that someone will be a match to a person in need of a donor and will “be the one to save a life.”

 Michele Siegrist, a junior nursing major, was diagnosed with Leukemia in July 2008 after she graduated from Lowndes High School.

 Treatment showed reduction in her cancer for over a year, but this past January, it started to show signs of a comeback with evidence of the cancer returning during a routine check up with her doctor.

  A bone marrow transplant may finally help cure her, but a match is needed.

 To be tested as a match, a person only has to have his or her cheek swabbed.

 Leukemia is a cancer that attacks the bone marrow, usually causing the bone marrow to create an unnecessary multitude of abnormal white blood cells called leukemia cells, according to WebMD.com.

 Causes of leukemia range from exposure to smoking and radiation to chemotherapy on other types of cancer.

 Leukemia can lead to problems such as anemia, bleeding, swelling, and could spread to the lymph nodes or other organs.

 About 256,000 people have leukemia worldwide and almost 82 percent who are inflicted with the cancer succumb to the disease by way of death. 

 There is no known cure for the disease at this time.

 Many people depend on this type of event to help find a donor match to possibly save their lives in the hospital.

 Raffle tickets are on sale for $1 in support of the fundraiser.

 Prizes include a two-night weekend getaway at Hilton Garden of Tifton and a $100 restaurant gift certificate, a Publix gift card worth $50, a Wild Adventures pass, a $20 gift certificate to Rodeo Mexican Restaurant or a $25 gift card for Tropical Smoothie Café.

 More items will be added before the drawing.

 Advertisement “spots” were on sale for $100 for businesses wanting to advertise at the event, but the cut-off date was March 16.

 The event will be held at Georgia Military College, located on 4201 Forrest St. Ext., Bldg. B.  For more information, contact Traci Reaves at 229-269-4850.

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