(BOP) - Federal prisons often host blood drives, but the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Leavenworth, KS, took it to the next level by addressing the need for bone marrow as well. The need for bone marrow donors was made clear when a USP employee was diagnosed with leukemia.
The institution invited the national bone marrow registry to participate in the blood drive as a way to raise awareness to the need for bone marrow donors; volunteers were registered in the National Bone Marrow Donor Program. "Registering to be a bone marrow donor is easy - just provide some information and take a swab inside of your cheek," said Lt. Quinn Bott, a staff pharmacist at USP Leavenworth.
Bone marrow transplants offer hope, and even a possible cure, to patients with blood cancers like leukemia or other potentially deadly blood conditions.