University of Washington Professor Sparks Campus-Wide Partnership

Be The Match and The University of Washington have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership to recruit young, diverse blood stem cell donors to cure patients suffering from sickle cell, blood cancer and other deadly diseases. Dr. Alexes Harris, a professor of sociology, and a transplant recipient, created a campus-wide coalition to educate and recruit people to join the Be The Match Registry®. 

The Whole U, the wellness program at the university, offers a variety of opportunities throughout the year for students to learn more about their life-saving potential with Be The Match®. To kickoff the partnership, they hosted a Mixed Match movie screening that included an inspiring panel discussion featuring donors, patients and medical experts in the field discussing the process of donation and the importance race plays in it. The Whole U continues to host events including blood drives on campus, partnering with athletic teams for Get In The Game drives, educational classroom presentations, and growing their Be The Match On Campus program.

Building on past success, they have set a goal of adding 200+ potential donors a month to the Be The Match Registry.

“You could be someone’s only genetic match—their only hope for a cure. Joining the donor registry empowers us in a way like no other to alleviate health care disparities. It’s a way to make a real difference in our community.”

– Dr. Alexes Harris
Professor of Sociology, Transplant recipient and blood cancer survivor