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

Expresses support for the goals and ideals of a National African-American Bone Marrow Awareness Month.

Urges Americans to: (1) participate in programs and activities regarding bone marrow awareness; and (2) register to become blood marrow donors and organize registration drives.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 150 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 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 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
Whereas July 2009 would be an appropriate month to observe National African-
        American Bone Marrow Awareness 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 register to 
        become a blood marrow donor and encourages all people of the 
        United States to organize a blood marrow registration drive in 
        their community.
                                 <all>