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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 205 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 205

    Supporting the goals and ideals of African American Bone Marrow 
                            Awareness Month.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2009

  Ms. Stabenow (for herself and Mr. Isakson) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Supporting the goals and ideals of African American Bone Marrow 
                            Awareness Month.

Whereas a bone marrow or blood cell transplant is a potentially life-saving 
        treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood 
        diseases;
Whereas a bone marrow or blood cell transplant replaces a patient's unhealthy 
        blood cells with healthy blood-forming cells from a volunteer donor;
Whereas a patient who does not have a suitably matching donor in the family may 
        search the National Marrow Donor Program Donor 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 to the National Marrow Donor 
        Program Donor Registry, and physicians may search that registry when 
        they need to find donors whose tissue type matches their patients';
Whereas African Americans make up 8 percent of, or more than 550,000 of the 
        7,000,000 people currently on, the National Marrow Donor Program Donor 
        Registry;
Whereas of the 35,000 people that have received transplants since the inception 
        of the National Marrow Donor Program Donor Registry, only 1,500 have 
        been African Americans;
Whereas more than 70 life-threatening diseases can be treated with a bone marrow 
        transplant;
Whereas there is a possibility that an African American patient could match a 
        donor from any racial or ethnic group, but 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 Donor 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 the 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
Whereas July 2009 would be an appropriate month to observe African American Bone 
        Marrow Awareness Month: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of African American Bone 
        Marrow Awareness Month;
            (2) urges the people of the United States to participate in 
        appropriate programs and activities with respect to bone marrow 
        awareness, including speaking with health care professionals 
        about bone marrow donation; and
            (3) urges all people of the United States to register to 
        become blood marrow donors and encourages all people of the 
        United States to organize blood marrow registration drives in 
        their communities.
                                 <all>
```