We Are The Cure
Every day Black and African American children and adults are diagnosed with and suffer from sickle cell disease, leukemia and blood cancers. There is a cure. Donors of the same ethnic background have the power to save a life. YOU could be a genetic match for a searching patient. Join the registry today.
We Need Your Help To Increase The Odds
Black and African American patients diagnosed with blood cancers, sickle cell and leukemia have a 29% chance of finding a matching, available donor on the Be The Match Registry® simply because more Black and African American donors are needed. Patients are most likely to match a donor who shares their ethnic background. Simply swabbing your cheek will enter you into the Be The Match Registry and potentially save a life.
Black or African American
White
Ready? The Next Move Is Yours.
To be listed as a potential donor, and have the chance to save the life of a patient in need – you must join the registry. You won’t donate until there is a patient who’s matched specifically with you. Here’s how to get started:
- Request a swab kit online.
- When your kit arrives in the mail, follow the instructions to swab your cheek.
- Drop the pre-paid envelope containing your swab in the mail – and that’s it!
Don’t forget to tell your friends and family why you swabbed and encourage them to do so too.
Have Your Kit? Watch The How-To Video
I SWABBED BECAUSE…
Meet MJ
MJ Has Been Looking for a Match
MJ was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2021 after what doctors initially thought were growing pains took a turn for the worst and MJ was sent home from daycare extremely lethargic, crying and unable to walk. The pains in his legs never went away, slowly became worse and forced MJ to spend a month in the hospital. He learned how to walk again and now he loves to dance! However, for MJ’s Leukemia to go away he’ll need a blood stem transplant and he currently has no matches on the registry.
Success Stories
Meet Constance
Constance’s Story
Sickle Cell Survivor
Meet Spencer
Spencer’s Story
Sickle Cell Survivor
It’s Easy To Save A Life
Curious About The Donation Process?
There are two methods of donating
- Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC)
- Marrow Donation
80% of the time, people give through a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donation; a nonsurgical process similar to donating plasma.
20% of the time, marrow donation takes place in a hospital. Donors receive anesthesia and feel no pain as doctors withdraw liquid marrow from the rear of the pelvic bone. Donors often say any minor discomfort they experienced was a small price to pay for the opportunity to save someone’s life.
Have more questions? Learn about the donation process, how we protect your DNA, and more.
Lauren’s Story
Blood Stem Cell Donor
“Don’t let fear be the only reason you don’t save a life.”
Our Partners
We are so thankful for the continued support of the We Are The Cure campaign by:
- Children’s Hospital of Atlanta
- City of Atlanta
- Dekalb County
- Gwinnet County
- V-103
- Apex Museum
- Texas Children’s Hospital
- LA Fitness
- Fox 5 Media