IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 150 
Supporting the goals and ideals of African-American Bone Marrow Awareness 
Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2009 
Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. SESTAK) 
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 pa-
tient’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 
to the National Marrow Donor Program Donor Registry 
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•HCON 150 IH 
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 Na-
tional Marrow Donor Program Registry; 
Whereas only 1,000 African-Americans have received trans-
plants of the 24,000 people that have received trans-
plants since the inception of the National Marrow Donor 
Program Registry; 
Whereas more than 70 life-threatening diseases can be treat-
ed with a bone marrow transplant; 
Whereas though it is possible for an African-American pa-
tient 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 guide-
lines, 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 mi-
nority-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 
Whereas July 2009 would be an appropriate month to ob-
serve National African-American Bone Marrow Aware-
ness Month: Now, therefore, be it 
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•HCON 150 IH 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of a National 
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 reg-
ister to become a blood marrow donor and encour-
ages all people of the United States to organize a 
blood marrow registration drive in their community. 
Æ 
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