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Be the Match collects stem cell donations obtained from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood, which are then distributed to patients with blood disorders or other illnesses in need of transplants. The organization is a non-profit agency, which relies on government funding to maintain its operations.
Unfortunately, the organization is facing a $3 million budget cut, which will reduce the number of patients who receive transplants for potential medical therapy. On July 18th, fifteen stem cell transplant recipients and advocates met with members of Congress in Washington, DC to protest against the proposed budget cuts for Be The Match.
20-year-old Kim Christensen and her donor Jeff Haertling are two of the advocates who discussed the potential funding cut with federal politicians. Kim was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was 16-years-old, and received a stem cell transplant from Haertling’s marrow by the time of her 18th birthday.
Four years later, Kim remains in remission, and wants to share her story to reverse the proposed cuts for Be The Match. Kim spoke with other recipients, alongside representatives of Be The Match.
“I spend all day on The Hill talking to people,” says Chad Ramsey, the legislative relations director for Be The Match. “I can tell them facts and figures, but the real impact comes from people like the Christensens, who have a story to tell on the success of the program.”
According to Mr Ramsey, the $3 million budget cut would reduce the number of people added to the stem cell matching registry by 20,000, as well as 1,000 fewer samples stored within the National Cord Blood Inventory. Ramsey is hopeful that testimony from Kim and other stem cell recipients will save Be The Match from financial cutbacks.