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 fol-
lowing 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 
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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 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 
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•HCON 180 IH 
Whereas July 2007 would be an appropriate month to ob-
serve National African American Bone Marrow Aware-
ness Month: Now, therefore, be it 
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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