Outrageous Federal regulations close Idaho bone-marrow registry
Regulations designed to help some people mean that no one is helped. This story from Idaho is outrageous:
Treasure Valley will lose bone-marrow donor registry
St. Luke's program can't meet a racial diversity goal, so future potential donors likely will have to pay to be signed up in Spokane.
BY COLLEEN LAMAY - clamay@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 08/07/08
The Treasure Valley's last bone-marrow donor registry is closing because it is too white.
St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute says it can't meet a new national goal to add 1,000 racial minorities a year to its list of people willing to donate bone marrow to patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood diseases.
The new requirement was created to help give minorities a better chance of finding a match that could save their lives.
But it means Caucasians in the Valley who could be swabbed and typed for free with the local list, will now have to pay $52 to register their marrow type and their willingness to share it with someone in need.
The Boise program, which now adds about 1,000 total people each year, likely will be absorbed into a bigger registry based in Spokane by Oct. 1.
"It wasn't something we wanted to do," said Mark Allen, marrow donor center coordinator at MSTI. "If it was up to us, we would keep it open."
Idaho's population is 96 percent white, according to 2006 state statistics.
"I certainly understand that the goals are a stretch," said Dr. Ellen Klohe, director of the marrow program at Inland Northwest Blood Center in Spokane. "Everybody will admit that."
Minorities will continue to get on the list for free, but Caucasians will need to pay. . . .
Labels: racialdiscrimination
posted by John Lott at 3:37 PM
3 Comments:
Remember kids - guns don't kill people.
Diversity does.
Ouch... anything that may reduce the number of individuals added to the registry is devastating. My son is in the midst of a life saving bone marrow transplant thanks to a generous anonymous donor. Glad his donor was able to join the registry before this came into effect....
What does it takes now a days? They are closing programs because other ethnisities don't want to donate? What are these cilinics supposed to do take Mecicans off the street to have them give bone marrow. In closeing down these clinics it makes it difficult for donors to be able to donate. I thought this was a voluntary thing. If Blacks, Hispanics, or whoever doesn't want to donate then they don't have to. However, the rest of us that do want to donate are being shafted in this process. I'm 19 and can't afford to travel anywhere to donate. Besides what does it matter if the person has a different skin color anyway? Isn't blood and marrow the same color in everybody? These regulations or a waist of time and are risking thousands of lives.
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