The Caribbean Bone Marrow Registry has hosted two donor registry drives in Cayman in the past month courtesy of Davenport Development Ltd and Decco Ltd., a Dart Enterprises contracting company.

In total, the two drives helped to add 143 new donors to the registry. The registry’s goal is to reach 1000 registered donors by the end of the year. In the region, where the population is well known for being a melting pot of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, it is extremely important to have as many potential donors as possible.

The most recent donor drive was held at the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa construction site in West Bay. The drive was facilitated by Rohan Marshall, Senior Manager at Decco Ltd., who decided to blend the event with a worker appreciation lunch in order to help encourage registrations.

“You have to break the stigma that accompanies bone marrow donation and registration. Many people are unaware of what the donation process is actually like,” Mr Marshall said. “We’ve had to spend a couple of weeks going through that process. We’ve managed to get quite a few registrants today.”

Decco’s donation drive brought in 83 of the 143 new potential donors. One of those 83 Decco workers who chose to register was Michael Jefferson.

“I don’t mind helping people. If it came to a situation where I would need the help I would really like it if someone helped me out, so I decided to get registered,” said Mr Jefferson. “The process was quick and not difficult at all.”

Mr Marshall said that deciding to host the registry drive was an easy decision to make. “It’s good for us, number one, but more importantly it’s good for the community as a whole,” he said. “When we have a situation like this, with many regional employees working one location, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference.”

He added that he would encourage other businesses to get on board and contact the Cayman Islands Cancer Society about hosting their own drives. “What if you get sick ten years from now and you need to find a donor?” he said. “You would hope that your family members can or will help you, but if they are unable to, what comes next?”

Any companies interested in hosting a registration drive can contact the Cayman Islands Cancer Society at 949-7618.

IMAGES:

CBMR1: Jennifer Weber, Operations Manager at the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, swabs the cheek of a Decco worker.

CBMR1: Jennifer Weber, Operations Manager at the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, with Rohan Marshall, Senior Manager at Decco Ltd.

CBMR3: A Decco worker fills out the donor registration form