LYNCHBURG, Va. – Centra Health hosted a special event Wednesday, looking for people to be a match and do their part to save lives.
The healthcare provider partnered with the Be the Match campaign, where people ages 18-40 sign up to be a donor through a simple cheek swab.
Their names get added to the national registry to help those in need with more than 70 life-threatening diseases.
Health experts say they need more donors, as your chances of finding a match are lower based on your ethnic background.
“It’s matched not by blood type, but by HLA. So, you have to have an ethnic match. If we don’t have an ethnic registry, a diverse registry, then there are a lot of folks who won’t be able to get treated,” said Cindy Hunter with Centra Health.
If you couldn’t make Wednesday’s event but wish to register, you can learn more here.