The Sigma Nu fraternity is hosting a bone marrow drive today on behalf of the daughter of a Sigma Nu alumnus.
Krissy Kobata suffers from Myelodysplastic syndrome, a disease that affects the production of blood cells. She has not yet found a bone marrow match in the national donor registry, which is comprised of about 11 million people, said Ramzi Dudum, coordinator of the drive and Sigma Nu treasurer.
This is the second year Dudum has coordinated a bone marrow drive for Kobata.
Last year’s drive brought more than 350 people into the national registry, making it one of the largest bone marrow drives in the country. This year, Sigma Nu hopes to register 1,000 people, Dudum said.
UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel, a Sigma Nu alumnus, is working with the fraternity to help promote the drive.
“We’re hoping it will raise the awareness of how simple and easy it is (to donate) and what great results can come from (doing so),” Neuheisel said.
Kappa Kappa Gamma, among other Greek organizations, is helping to promote and staff the event.
Donating marrow is a simple procedure that is very similar to giving blood, said Laurel Flagg, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and a second-year economics student.
“It’s important to understand how simple (donating) is, and that it will make a big impact,” she said.
The process of registering to be a potential bone marrow donor requires only a cheek swab, she added.
Bone marrow transplants require a near perfect match between donor and recipient. Convincing as many people to register to be donors is the best way to increase a patient’s chances of finding a match, Flagg said.
Those who register at the drive today can do so for free, she said, and added that when people normally put their names on a registry they have to pay a fee of $100.
Being on the registry is also a way to give back to a diverse community like UCLA, Neuheisel said.
“When you’re at a place like UCLA, you … become connected to a very vibrant group, and this gives you a chance to give back to that group in a really meaningful way,” he said.