Bone Marrow registry exceeds goal

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt Abigail Wise
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The fifth annual C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program registration drive took place at the base theater Aug 28th.

The purpose of the drive is to increase the number of people in the National Bone Marrow Registry, and increasing the chances of those needing a transplant to find a life-saving match.

Dover personnel came together to help this cause, and in total, 796 people registered. Tech. Sgt. Michael Meinhold, 9th Airlift Squadron flight engineer and bone marrow registration coordinator since 2005, had set a goal of 500 people, which was clearly surpassed.

"There have been a total of 426 people to register in the previous four years that I have run this drive," said Sergeant Meinhold "and this year nearly double the last four."

Sergeant Meinhold tried a new method this year which he acquired from Travis Air Force Base and Scott Air Force Base. Rather than having just one day, he disseminated the word down through the squadrons and each squadron had a suggested day to register.

The sergeant also had registration available at the clinic that whole week and at events such as the NASCAR social at The Landings Club Sept. 25, the return of the 3rd Airlift Squadron and the maintenance family appreciation day. This helped spread the word and seemed to get more people's attention, said the sergeant.

The sergeant knows of at least eight people here at Dover who have already been called up to donate through the registry program.

Maj. Derek Salmi, 436th Airlift Wing Executive Officer, became a donor September 2007. He said the procedure "included a series of five shots and then, essentially, one long blood draw (about 4 hours). It left me a little sore and a little tired but after the procedure I was able to drive back to Delaware from D.C. that night and I ran the Marine Corps Marathon a month later."

Major Salmi had registered to be a donor more than 10 years earlier and was surprised to get that phone call.

He felt the process was made easy by the tremendous support network that is available through the C.W. Bill Young DoD Bone Marrow program.

"Everyone I worked with was extremely friendly, easy-to-work with and never put any pressure to donate if I didn't want to," said the major.

"Bone Marrow truly is win-win," he said. "That small amount of sacrifice on the part of the donor, particularly in comparison to what the patient is enduring, can have such a tremendous impact many times over. It is really amazing. I would donate again if asked."

"Next year's goal" Sergeant Meinhold says, "will be 1,000 people!"