'Swab a Cheek, Save a Life' Registry Drive Coming To Howard Univ.

WASHINGTON, DC — Howard University, together with Rolling Out Health IQ and Be The Match, is hosting a blood stem cell drive event on Monday, June 28 to support Elise Smith, owner of Winnie’s Bakery in Columbia, Maryland.

The registry drive event, "Swab a Cheek, Save a Life," will take place at the Howard University Hospital Auditorium from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The hospital auditorium is located at 2041 Georgia Ave. NW.

Smith is a 10-year survivor of thyroid cancer and is now battling myelodysplastic syndrome and is in immediate need of a blood stem cell transplant.

Last year, Smith learned that the curative treatment she received for her cancer was actually starting to kill her. She has yet to find a match, and she's calling on the community to join the registry so that she and others, particularly Black patients, can find a match.

Black patients have only a 23 percent chance of finding a matching and available donor on the Be The Match Registry compared to white patients who have a 79 percent chance. This disparity is because patients are most likely to match with a donor of a similar ethnic background, and participation from the Black community is generally low. Currently, the rate of Black people on the North American donor registry is just 4 percent, according to Be The Match.

"We recognize that many are not aware of the power they have to help save a life by registering to be a possible blood stem cell donor, so we're hosting events around the country to encourage everyone and especially the Black community to join the Be The Match registry,” Munson Steed of Rolling Out Health IQ said in a statement.

“We're excited to activate those in the DMV area and support Elise to hopefully a match for her and so many others." Steed said.

Event participants will receive a Peace and Purpose tote bag and adult coloring book. To register for Monday's "Swab a Cheek, Save a Life" drive, visit the event’s website.