INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Colts LB Gary Brackett today announced Gary Brackett's Drive for Life: Continuing the Legacy of Tyler Genneken. Brackett calls out to all Hoosiers to be part of the bone marrow registry event on October 26, when they can join the Be The Match Registry in-person or online and increase the odds of finding a match for a patient in need of a life-saving transplant.
Because 70 percent of people who need a transplant do not match a family member and 40 percent of those who do turn to the registry do not find a match there either, growing the registry is critical. Patients die waiting because a person who is their match has not registered.
Joining the Be The Match Registry is as easy as completing a health history form and swabbing the inside of the cheek. Once on the registry, potential donors are available for patients searching worldwide. The registry process takes less than 30 minutes. Anyone 18-60 years old and in good health is encouraged to join. Volunteers will be available to assist registrants.
Gary Brackett's Drive for Life: Continuing the Legacy of Tyler Genneken
Presented by Clarian Health
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Noon – 5 p.m. at University Place Conference Center at IUPUI, 850 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis
3 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Clarian North, 11700 North Meridian Street, Carmel
Minority populations are under-represented on the Be The Match Registry. Because the match is based on a person's genetic makeup and follows cultural lines, minority patients in need of a transplant are even less likely to find a match. African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics are highly encouraged to participate.
The cost to add someone to the registry is $100, a fee covered at Drive for Life thanks to the generosity of Clarian Health and event partners Riley Children's Foundation, Clarian North Medical Center, Gary Brackett's Impact Foundation and the Tyler Genneken Foundation. Funding to genetically type new registrants is a barrier to growing the registry. On-site and online donations are encouraged to allow Be The Match - Indiana to continue adding more Hoosiers to potentially be a match.
Drive for Life takes the reigns as a second-annual event, building on success from September 2009. The one-day event last year saw more than 1,400 people join the registry as Riley Hospital for Children's patient Tyler Genneken was battling leukemia and could not find a match. Tyler died in November 2009, never finding a match.
The Colts' Gary Brackett donated bone marrow for his brother in 2005 and now looks to this October 26 event to grow the number of people on the Be The Match Registry.
Visit garybrackett.org or indianablood.org/DriveForLife for more information, to join online, to donate and for event details. With registry questions, call Indiana Blood Center at 317-916-5211. Indiana Blood Center coordinates the Be The Match Registry in Indiana.
About Be The Match
Be The Match is a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a leader in the field of marrow and cord blood transplantation, created Be The Match to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in saving the lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases. Indiana Blood Center coordinates the Be The Match Registry in Indiana, recruiting new members and supporting Hoosiers who are a match throughout the donation process. Visit indianablood.org/bethematch for more information.
About Clarian Health As a preeminent leader in clinical care, education, research and service, Clarian Health is Indiana's most comprehensive academic health center and one of the busiest hospital systems in the United States. Based in Indianapolis, Clarian owns or is affiliated with multiple hospitals and health centers throughout the state and maintains a strong partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine—the nation's second largest medical school and a global leader in medical education and research. Learn more at www.clarian.org.
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About Riley Children's Foundation
Riley Children's Foundation supports Riley Hospital for Children, Camp Riley for Youth with Physical Disabilities and the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home. As Indiana's only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families since 1924. Each year children from all 92 Indiana counties turn to Riley Hospital and its regional clinics throughout the state more than 250,000 times. Riley Hospital's partnership with Clarian Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make Riley Hospital for Children the leader in pediatric care in the state and the region. RileyKids.org
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About Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation
The mission of Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation is to promote health, to advance education, and to relieve the poor, distressed and underprivileged by providing resources and opportunities to children, including children who are mentally challenged, physically challenged, socially disadvantaged, or economically disadvantaged. Since 2007, Gary Brackett's charitable efforts have impacted the lives of over 30,000 Indiana residents. For more information, please visit www.garybrackett.org.
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About The Tyler Genneken Foundation
The Tyler Genneken Foundation was formed in honor of Tyler Blaine Genneken and the children like him who have or are undergoing treatment for cancer. Tyler was diagnosed on July 4, 2006, and after a 40-month battle with cancer, he died in the arms of his parents at the tender age of 14. The Tyler Genneken Foundation raises awareness of and financial support for pediatric cancer research, bone marrow donation and registration, and local pediatric cancer facilities. Since late 2009 more than 2,000 people have registered with the Be The Match Registry in Tyler's name, and to date four life-saving matches have occurred. For more information, please visit www.TylerGenneken.com.
