Essentia Health Bone Marrow Drive Leads to Success; Continues for Second Year

DULUTH, Minn.– Last year, when a nurse at Essentia Health was diagnosed with Leukemia and was eventually cured.

Her friends and coworkers organized a bone marrow drive, and they’re now inspired to keep going.

The bone marrow drive at Essentia is typically done every five years.

But now, they’re bringing it back for the second year in a row.

Recipients must be 18 to 40 years old, and in good health to participate.

It’s an easy cheek swab procedure to get entered into a database.

And that nurse says she is grateful for everyone’s support.

“It’s just really rewarding that there was somebody out there that would donate to me, that saved my life, and now, after battling a deadly cancer, to being back to work and being a mom, it’s, there’s really no words to describe how incredible it is that somebody was out there that would essentially give me a second chance at life,” said Kristine Hautamaki, ICU Registered Nurse, Leukemia Survivor.

And despite the event being held in Duluth the results from the database can be international.

That said, Essentia got some promising news about last year’s drive.

“We had three individuals that one was able to go to Washington, DC, to be an unrelated donor for someone, and then another person went to Chicago, and then the third person was able to donate cells here. Your loved one could be saved just by a donor, an unrelated donor. So, my unrelated donor lives in Rhode Island, so I thank her every day,” said Melissa Rock, Oncology Nurse Manager, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Survivor.

This year’s bone marrow drive is continuing until tomorrow.

If you can’t make it, there is an option to sign up for kits you can take at home.