International studies in social science junior Tara Schultz swabs her cheeks for cells while registering to be a marrow donor Jan. 29, 2014, in Wells Hall. Both of Richter’s daughters have leukemia, including MSU alumna Jessalyn Richter has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Erin Hampton/The State News
Two parents have been making the journey to Wells Hall all week as part of an attempt they hope will save their daughter’s life.
Debra Richter and her husband, Mark Richter, have spent a good portion of their week on campus trying to find a bone marrow donor for their daughter, Jessalyn.
Jessalyn was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in September 2013.
The disease is an aggressive form of blood cancer.
The MSU alumna is an English professor at Grand Valley State University.
Because the family wasn’t able to get a transplant from Jessalyn’s younger sister, the Richter family decided to come to MSU in hopes of using the large student body to increase the chances of finding a match.
“She was diagnosed with AML back in September,” Debra Richter said. “Because her sister had leukemia as a child, she could not donate stem cells to (Jessalyn), so we were looking for an unrelated match.
“The reason we wanted to do it at MSU is because there is a large diversity in the population here,” she said. “It’s great that we were able to come here.”
The Richter family has enlisted Be The Match Registry to assist with their efforts.
Eric Trosko, the Michigan representative for the organization, said Be The Match helps organize drives such as the one the Richters are holding.
The organization provides materials needed to get people registered and trains volunteers to help.
Afterwards, Be The Match processes and stores all the information of those who sign up, which becomes a source for transplant centers.
For students who decide to sign up, it’s a simple process the foundation uses to determine if they can help.
Richter said all students need to do is fill out a form and take four swabs of their cheeks.
“They just put (the swabs) back in the kit, we seal it up and put it with their information and send it in to Be The Match, where they test (for human leukocyte antigen),” Richter said.
After people register, it takes about a month and a half for them to get processed and on the registry.
Those selected as matches can choose to donate one of two ways.
“The most popular way is through a non-surgical blood draw procedure that’s very similar to a plasma donation,” Trosko said. “About 90 percent of our donors will donate that way.
“About 10 percent of our donors will do a surgical procedure, which is an actual marrow donation where ?we go into the hip and take out bone marrow.”
The Richter family has been pleased with the response they have received from the MSU community thus far.
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“The turnout has been great,” Richter said. “The first day we got over 30, and today we have that many already.”
Richter’s goal is to collect swabs from 400 people.
The family will be in Wells Hall until Thursday at ?5:30 p.m.
They will conduct a similar drive at Grand Valley State University on Feb. 4.
Those interested in learning more or making a donation can visit Jessalyn’s Be The Match website.
