Essentia Health hosting bone marrow drive in Duluth

Each year, about 18,000 people are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness in which a bone marrow transplant is needed, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

For the best outcomes, bone marrow transplants require the recipient and the donor to be as close of a match as possible. Patients who need a bone marrow transplant include those diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and many other diseases.

Duluth’s Kristi Hautamaki understands the need better than most. Hautamaki, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center, was diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia in June. It’s a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Her cancer is aggressive but treatable with a bone marrow transplant, which she hasn’t yet found a match for.

“We’ve combed the national registry to find a good fit,” Hautamaki said. “But so far, we have only been able to find someone who matches seven criteria points, and I need a match who meets nine or 10 factors to increase the chances of a positive outcome.”

Essentia is hoping to add more donors to the registry and help those in need by hosting a bone marrow drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21. The drive will be held in the atrium of Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center, located at 402 E. Second St.

Participants between the ages of 18-40 simply need to attend the drive and have their cheek swabbed. From there, a sample will be sent to a testing facility, where experts will map the bone marrow and enter it into the national registry. If a donor is a match for someone in need, they will receive a call to determine their interest level in following through with a bone marrow donation.

“A simple cheek swab could give you the potential to save a life,” said Hautamaki. “It can take months for those in need to find a match, and without it those who are impacted by blood disease are at risk of dying.”