BY ANGELICA BROOKS
SPECIAL TO THE ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Every three minutes an American is diagnosed with blood disease, totaling to over 30,000 yearly. If someone is diagnosed with blood disease, it is required that they receive a bone marrow transplant. This is a procedure that takes place within a hospital operating room. During the procedure doctors use a needle to withdraw the liquid marrow from a donor and place it into the body of a recipient. Statistically only about 30% of patients can find a fully matched donor within their family.
This is why often times the search is expanded to the general public to locate a match, through organizations such as bethematch.org which increases the likelihood of finding a donor to 66%.
Elmore County Technical Center’s Medical Science Program is a large supporter of bethematch.org. Each student in this program is going through medical training to become nurses and even medical doctors. This course gives them a head start in the medical field and they are able to obtain their Patient Care Technician License in this class.
They also are a part of a national club called HOSA Club (Healthcare Professionals of the Future) which is an educational club for future health care workers. In this club, Darcie Dark is a student within the program at Elmore County Technical School and is in charge of fundraising for “Be the Match”.
“We are trying to get people to either donate bone marrow or donate money to help with the costs of donations and transportation. Our class has a link for donations where people can donate any amount of money they please. If our class raises enough money for the organization then we receive recognition for our support for HOSA and our future as healthcare professionals” Darcie said.
Please join in and support the mission and passion of our local students to make a difference, by sharing or donating a tax-deductible donation at http://wesavelives.bethematch.org/team/5553
This fundraiser is currently running through January 2021.
In other good news: Congratulations to ECTC’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year, Medical Sciences instructor, Amy Colquitt! Mrs. Colquitt has been part of the ECTC family for 5 years. She served as the ECTC school nurse prior to joining our teaching faculty where she instructs first year Medical Sciences students in foundational courses.
