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Blood Diseases and the Champlain Valley Bone Marrow Donor Program

Every year more than 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with life threatening blood diseases such as leukemia. For many of these patients a marrow or stem cell transplant is the only chance for a cure. However, such a transplant is possible only when the patient and donor have matching tissue types. Nearly 30% of the patients in need will find a matched donor within their immediate family. The other 70% of patients must search for an unrelated donor. Unfortunately, no family members matched Jimmy's tissue types.