Upcoming Bone Marrow Drive at Essentia Health

DULUTH, Minn.–You’ve most likely heard of donating blood or plasma to help save people’s lives but there’s even a simple swab of the cheek that’s just as beneficial.

That’s why Essentia Health in downtown Duluth is hosting a bone marrow drive this Wednesday from 11 AM to 5 PM. This will be located in the atrium right off of East 2nd Street.
It’s an opportunity for the hospital to identify potential matches for people suffering from diseases like Leukemia and sickle cell anemia.

“We can get that information via swabbing your cheek. And it will go into the national database.” explained Melissa Rock, an Oncology Nurse Manager. “And then if you are a match, or a close match, they would call you in for more testing of the blood. But all can be done through the arm.”

Wednesday’s drive is also dedicated to Kristi Hautamaki. She’s a registered nurse with Essentia who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia.
Officials say there is a serious need for bone marrow donations.

“Just like blood, we’re in a shortage. And just like what Missy said also, a lot of people think it’s scary.” said Mollie Meinhold, a clinical nurse specialist intern. “So, a lot of people won’t even do the cheek swab. Just to see if they can be a donor. And again, we’ve come so far that it’s pretty much a painless donation.”

With advanced technology the process to donate bone marrow is simpler than years ago.
The donor’s blood is removed from their arm, which is passed through a machine to separate the blood forming cells, much like giving plasma.