For patients with life-threatening blood disorders like leukemia and lymphoma, blood stem cell transplants from matching donors can save their lives. But finding a matching donor can be a daunting endeavor. The National Marrow Donor Program exists to help those patients find their match, in part by operating the Be the Match registry.
TAFP Past President Amer Shakil, MD, has partnered with Be the Match to educate and enroll new donors since his own diagnosis of leukemia. Shakil is a professor of family medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was TAFP President in 2021-22.
Potential donors must be between 18 and 40 years of age, and volunteering is easy. To register with Be the Match, you need to complete an online form to see if you’re a fit for the program, and submit a swab kit. Learn more about the program and how you can join Team Shakil by downloading Dr. Shakil’s pdf flyer by clicking the button below.