IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 180 

Supporting the goals and ideals of African American Bone Marrow Awareness 

Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 28, 2007 

Ms. KILPATRICK (for herself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. SERRANO, 

Mr. COHEN, Mr. RUSH, and Mr. HASTINGS of Florida) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of African American Bone 

Marrow Awareness Month. 

Whereas a marrow or blood cell transplant is a potentially 

life-saving treatment for patients with leukemia, 

lymphoma, and other blood diseases; 

Whereas a marrow or blood cell transplant replaces a patient’s unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood-forming 

cells from a volunteer donor; 

Whereas patients who do not have a suitably matching donor 

in their family may search the National Marrow Donor 

Program Registry for a donor; 

Whereas blood or cell samples from adult donors or cord 

blood units are tested, and the tissue or cell type is added 


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•HCON 180 IH 

to the National Marrow Donor Program Donor Registry 

and physicians may search this registry when they need 

to find a donor whose tissue type matches their patient’s; 

Whereas African Americans make up 8 percent or more than 

450,000 of the 6,000,000 people currently on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry; 

Whereas only 1,000 African Americans have received transplants of the 24,000 people that have received transplants since the inception of the National Marrow Donor 

Program Registry; 

Whereas more than 70 life-threatening diseases can be treated with a bone marrow transplant; 

Whereas though it is possible for an African American patient to match a donor from any racial or ethnic group, 

the most likely match is another African American; 

Whereas to become a volunteer donor, potential donors must 

be between 18 and 60 years of age, meet health guidelines, provide a small blood sample or swab of cheek cells 

to determine the donor’s tissue type, complete a brief 

health questionnaire, and sign a consent form to have the 

tissue type of the donor listed on the Registry; 

Whereas the Bone Marrow Wish Organization, which is a minority-run nonprofit organization based in Detroit that 

was started by an actual bone marrow donor, is initiating 

‘‘African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month’’; 

Whereas this annual month of awareness would promote 

donor awareness and increase the number of African 

Americans registered with the National Marrow Donor 

Program throughout the nation; and 


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•HCON 180 IH 

Whereas July 2007 would be an appropriate month to observe National African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the goals and ideals of a National 

4 African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month; 

5 (2) urges the people of the United States to 

6 participate in appropriate programs and activities 

7 with respect to bone marrow awareness, including 

8 speaking with health care professionals about bone 

9 marrow donation; and 

10 (3) urges all people of the United States to reg11 ister to become a blood marrow donor and encour12 ages all people of the United States to organize a 

13 blood marrow registration drive in their community. 

Æ 


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