On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Nursing Student Organization (NSO) hosted “Be the Match,” an event where students had the opportunity to see if they could be a potential match for cancer patients who need blood stem cell or bone marrow transplants.
Students filled out a survey before swabbing both sides of their cheeks with a cotton swab to be sent out and tested. A few days later, those who chose to participate were texted and asked if they would confirm their interest in joining the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry.
“We want to help everybody, give everyone a fair chance at healthcare and raise awareness for all diseases,” said senior Kelly Florencio, the academic chair for the NSO.
Senior John Sweatman, who serves as co-community chair alongside sophomore Melina Stamatiou, told The Ramapo News, “I am trying to increase healthcare access for the people who need it by doing a short five-minute thing that can potentially save someone’s life.” He added, “…it has a low impact on yourself but a high impact on the individual.”
When asked why he decided to participate in the event, senior nursing major Joshua Verdun said, “It’s important. It’s a good cause and further promotes research.”
For further information on the NSO, email nso@ramapo.edu.
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Amanda Jones
