SAG-AFTRA New York Local Co-President Holter Graham is battling leukemia and, along with thousands of others, is beginning the marrow transplant process. All performers know that even a soliloquy takes more than one person. This is an opportunity for us to pull together and offer our support to the many people fighting this disease.
Holter, like many others, has yet to find a marrow donor but the odds look good; Caucasians have the highest likelihood for matched marrow. Sadly, members of minority and mixed-race communities are less well represented in the marrow registries, so the need for those registrants is greatest. SAG-AFTRA members can help by donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and join the Be the Match bone marrow donor registry.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society funds research, provides support, and helps improve quality of life for patients and their families. Go to LLS.org and click on the Donate Now button.
Be the Match helps those with blood cancers find life-saving marrow donors. Learn more and join the registry at marrow.org. *Please see note below about this registry. Holter notes, however, that "nothing shatters like hope, so if you cannot fully commit to the (simple and safe) process of marrow donation if you are selected as anyone's match, please consider a monetary contribution rather than registration. You must be certain before registering."
The National Cancer Institute states that there will be more than 48,000 new leukemia diagnoses this year in the United States, and more than 23,000 deaths. Give now to memorialize those such as Ed Bradley, Jill Clayburgh, Etta James, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry and Victor Mature, who valiantly battled this ailment, and support Holter, Robin Roberts, Tony Iommi, Michael C. Hall and the many others who fully intend to overcome blood and bone cancers.
*Participation in this donor registry drive is purely voluntary, and no SAG-AFTRA employee is expected or required to participate on any other basis.
Be The Match imposes a number of donor registration restrictions, including but not limited to:
- Donor registrants need to be between the ages of 18-44;
- Donor registrants must not have a body mass index (BMI) over 40;
- Donor registrants must not be men who have had sex with men within the last 5 years.
For more information on these and other restrictions, please click here.
Note: These restrictions are solely the responsibility of Be The Match, and are not endorsed or supported by SAG-AFTRA.