Be The Match for this Season of Giving

In a display of human compassion and solidarity during this season of giving, university student Greek organizations Phi Sigma Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon collaborated on a Be the Match sign-up drive on campus recently. The initiative was sparked by the urgent need to find a bone marrow donor for university friend Russell Riehl’s son, Chase, 14, who is battling leukemia. 

Be the Match is a national marrow donor program and registry of volunteer blood donors by the National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Chase needs a blood stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor for the best chance of survival. Leukemia is the most common cancer in children younger than the age of 15, the National Cancer Institute noted. He is 75% white and about 25% filipino descent and needs a 100% match for the best opportunity to beat the disease.  

More than 50 people came to the November event to support and register with Be the Match. Riehl said he was grateful for the outpouring of support. He originally connected with friend and Board of Trustee Member Wendy Lau ’98 to share awareness about his son’s needs. Lau and the women of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority wanted to do more to help, so they organized a sign-up event on campus alongside fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Communications student Sydney Ferris, who has been personally impacted by blood cancer complications within her family, said event attendance also made an impact on her. Her uncle beat his disease due to the graciousness of a Be the Match donor.

“Nearly 12,000 patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases. Their best chance of survival is by identifying an unrelated bone marrow donor,” Ferris said. “This could save Chase’s life!” 

A college campus is the ideal location for donors since they must be between the ages of 18-40 to join the registry. Studies show that patients receiving blood stem cells from younger donors have a better long-term survival rate.

“This event showcased the power of the Leo community,” Lau said about the success of the event. The registry has noted that there is a disproportionately low number of Filipino donors, so she found the event to be a great place to educate passers-by about the inequities behind donor matching statistics and how easy it is to support a person in need through Be the Match.

“There are issues in place that prevent persons of color or minorities from going to the doctor or understanding what it means to be a donor…this was a really good educational awareness experience,” Lau said.

The event not only showcased the caring spirit of students, but also highlighted the lasting bonds formed within the University of La Verne Leopard family. Even if there are no direct matches to Chase from this event, Ferris says just getting these names on the registry can help. 

Join the donor registry by visiting bethematch.org.