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FDNY ACCEPTS “HONOR
ROLL OF LIFE” PLAQUE HONORING FIREFIGHTERS WHO HAVE
DONATED BONE MARROW; TWO FDNY DONORS MEET WITH BONE MARROW
RECIPIENTS FOR FIRST TIME
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta today accepted a plaque
from the New York Blood Center (NYBC) dedicated to the more
than 60 firefighters who have donated life-saving bone marrow
to individuals suffering from a variety of acute diseases.
NYBC President Dr. Robert L. Jones was on hand for the presentation
at Fire Department Headquarters in Brooklyn. During the presentation
the NYBC also reunited for the first time Firefighters Greg
Hansen of Ladder Company 153 and Peter McMahon of Ladder Company
26 with their bone marrow recipients.
“Signing up for the bone marrow registry is simple
and just another way our members help save lives,” said
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. “Firefighters
Hansen and McMahon stepped up to the challenge and were able
to provide a lifeline for two gravely ill individuals. We’re
proud of their contribution and proud as a Department to partner
with the New York Blood Center for this campaign. We hope
that more New Yorkers will join us in choosing to give the
gift of life.”
In December 2003, Firefighter McMahon, age 25 and a two-year
veteran of the Fire Department, donated bone marrow to 32-year-old
Devendar Mata of St. Louis, Missouri. Ms. Mata, a software
engineer, was diagnosed with adult acute myelogenous leukemia
(AML) in July 1998. After being in remission for five years,
she suffered a relapse of the disease in July 2003. After
multiple bone marrow drives in her community did not render
a match, Ms. Mata turned to the National Marrow Donor Program
and Firefighter McMahon was identified as a match.
In October 2003, Firefighter Hansen, age 24 and a three-year
veteran of the Fire Department, donated bone marrow to 37-year-old
Melanie Harman of West Virginia. Ms. Harman, a married mother
of three and a teacher’s assistant, was diagnosed with
AML in July 2003 after a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
in 1999.
Throughout the years, the Fire Department has encouraged
its members to donate blood as well as other blood products
such as blood platelets and bone marrow. The Fire Department
began its bone marrow donation partnership with the New York
Blood Center in 1990. The first firefighter donated bone marrow
through this program in 1991. To date, the FDNY is the single-largest
bone marrow registry group with more than 8,000 firefighters
registered.
The NYBC plaque, the “Honor Roll of Life,” has
the engraved names of firefighters who have donated bone marrow
to men, women and children diagnosed with diseases ranging
from leukemia to Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Probationary Firefighters are encouraged to sign-up for the
bone marrow registry during their initial training at the
Fire Academy on Randall’s island. For the past five
years, nearly 100 percent of every probationary firefighting
class has participated in the program.
About the New York Blood Center
This year, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is celebrating 40
years of service to the community. NYBC has been a singular
healthcare resource, serving one of the most diverse populations
in the world. One of the nations largest blood distribution
and services organization, NYBC provides blood and blood products
for more than one million transfusions annually, a significant
portion of our nation’s blood supply. We serve close
to 200 hospitals and 20 million people in New York, New Jersey,
and Connecticut. NYBC is also home to the prestigious Lindsley
F. Kimball Research Institute, one of the world’s leading
centers for basic and applied research in hematology and transfusion
medicine.
About the National Marrow Donor Program
The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) helps people who
need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant. We connect
patients, doctors, donors and researchers to resources they
need to help more people live longer, healthier lives. To
achieve our mission, we:
- Search our Registry -- the largest listing of volunteer
donors and cord blood units in the world
- Support patients and their doctors throughout the transplant
process
- Match patients with the best donor or cord blood unit
using innovative science and technology
Contact: Francis X. Gribbon / Virginia Lam
(FDNY) (718) 999-2056
http://www.nyc.gov/fdny
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