Cheek Week
July 9th – July 15th
What is Cheek Week?
Cheek Week was launched
in 2020 to help increase
the number of ethnically
diverse donors on the
Be the Match Registry®
The recruitment efforts of Cheek Week strive for equal access to cellular therapy for everyone. Cheek Week is a combination of in-person and virtual events held annually in July to support African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month.
Taking place in regions selected for their diverse culture, heritage and impactful African American communities, we’re on the ground educating and registering new potential donors. Together, we can save lives.
Our Mission:
We save lives through cellular therapy
Over the past 30 years, we’ve facilitated more than 115,000 transplants by recruiting potential blood stem cell donors and matching them to patients in need. Blood stem cell transplants can potentially provide a life-saving cure for patients with sickle cell anemia, blood cancers and other deadly diseases because of the donation of healthy blood stem cells.
Cheek Week Events
- There are no upcoming events.
- There are no upcoming events.
- There are no upcoming events.
Latest Past Events
Dekalb County Donor Registry Drive-Thru Antioch AME Church
Dekalb County Donor Registry Drive-Thru Antioch AME Church 4730 Elam Road, Stone MountainJoin us at Antioch A.M.E Church and join the Be The Match Registry® from the comfort of your car. Can’t join us in person? Visit CheekWeek.com for more information or […]
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Scottish Rite Hospital
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Scottish Rite Hospital 1001 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, AtlantaJoin us at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to learn more about Be The Match® and to join the Be The Match Registry® Can’t join us in person? Visit CheekWeek.com for […]
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Egleston Hospital
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Egleston Hospital 1405 Clifton Rd NE, AtlantaJoin us at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to learn more about Be The Match® and to join the Be The Match Registry® Can’t join us in person? Visit CheekWeek.com for […]
Join The Registry From
Anywhere – at Anytime
No matter where you are in the world, you can save a life!
The Journey to Finding a Match
A searching patient could be waiting for you – specifically you – to join the registry today
Rhiannon
Rhiannon’s Story
Six years post-transplant, sickle cell warrior Rhiannon reflects on what it took to get her where she is today. Due to Rhiannon’s health complications from sickle cell anemia, her doctors recommended the next course of action be a marrow transplant.
Genesis
Genesis’s Story
Genesis, a sickle cell warrior, had her first silent stroke at the age of eight. Thereafter began the search for a donor on the registry. She continued to look for a match for over 10 years. She was finally able to have a marrow transplant at 20-years-old after discovering that her mom was a haplo (half) match.
Christina
Christina’s Story
Christina is a sickle cell warrior. She suffered a stroke at eight, which left her paralyzed from the waist down for over three months. It took physical therapy and a lot of determination to get her back walking again. The possibility of finding an unrelated donor on the Be The Match Registry® gave Christina a renewed sense of hope. She was finally able to undergo the marrow transplant in 2020.
I SWABBED BECAUSE…
You Can Increase the Odds
Patients are most likely to match a donor who shares their ethnic background.
Black and African American patients have a 29% chance of finding a matching, available donor on the Be The Match Registry®. More Black and African American donors are needed to help increase the odds.
Black or African American
White
Support for Bone Marrow Transplant
We are dedicated to helping you get the support and information you need to learn about your disease and treatment options, prepare for transplant and thrive after transplant.
Be The Match Foundation®—Funding the Cure
Be The Match Foundation® raises critical funds to advance the mission of Be The Match® which is to save lives through cellular therapy. With the public’s philanthropic efforts, we can drive diverse recruitment to the Be The Match Registry®, support patients and their families with uninsured costs related to transplants and fund life-saving research to reduce
post-transplant complications.
- $25 raised covers one clinic visit co-pay for a transplant patient
- $50 covers the cost of one swab kit and donor typing to ensure the best possible donor match for a patient
- $200 adds another potential life-saving ethnically diverse donor to the Be The Match Registry®—helping us grow and diversify the registry so EVERY patient can find their life saving match
- $300 provides tools and support for a research scientist to pursue new discoveries to prevent and treat post-transplant complications
- $500 secures one week of temporary housing during transplant recovery. If patients live more than an hour away from the transplant center, they’re required to relocate nearby for three to six months of recovery.
- $2,000 covers one transplant recovery grant awarded to help families with uninsured and ongoing costs after a transplant
Atlanta community members are saying YES to supporting Be The Match® even after joining the registry. You can say YES too.
Learn how you can get involved in this life-saving work in your own community.
