Let’s Do It for George”
APWU Members Urged to Join Marrow Donor Program

APWU Web News Article #037-09, April 1, 2009

To help save the life of an APWU member with a serious illness, postal workers and their families are being asked to volunteer to become bone marrow donors.

Mail Processor George Goetschal, a member of the Terre Haute (IN) Area Local, is a 34-year USPS veteran who was diagnosed with cancer last September. George needs a marrow transplant, but the odds of finding a match are extremely low. Family testing, a local donor drive, and a search of the National Marrow Donor Program Registry (NMDPR) have proven unsuccessful.

But George’s postal family still offers hope. Among the hundreds of thousands of APWU members and postal employees, one of us could be his match — and the only person able to save George’s life. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to give the gift of life. Do It For George.

To help make it happen, the APWU has partnered with the USPS and the National Marrow Donor Program to host a nationwide marrow registry drive for George, from April 1 through June 30.

The more people who register, the better chance that George – and thousands of others – have of finding a suitable donor.

Anyone who is in good health and between the ages of 18 and 60 can register with the nationwide program. The NMDP registration process is easy and absolutely painless – in most cases, you simply provide a “cheek cell sample.” [PDF]

Typically, there is a “tissue typing fee” (at an average cost of $52) associated with the marrow donor program, but this drive is being funded through the Postal Service’s “Delivering the Gift of Life Campaign,” so there is no cost to take part.

All postal employees, their spouses and dependents between the ages of 18 and 60 years old, who have not previously joined the NMDP Registry and who meet the medical eligibility guidelines, can participate. Check out the FAQS at www.marrow.org to learn whether you are already registered with NMDP.

Contact your designated USPS District Coordinator to show your interest in becoming a potential donor. If your postal district is not listed, contact APWU Human Relations Department Director Sue Carney or send an e-mail to marrowcampaign@usps.gov.

According to the marrow-donor program, healthcare professionals help more than 6,000 men, women, and children search the NMDP Registry each day. If it turns out that you are a suitable match for a patient, you may be asked to donate bone marrow or circulating blood cells. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you can be a life-saver.

“Bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure done under general or regional anesthesia, so the donor experiences no pain during the collection process,” the NMDP Web site explains. It takes some time and there may be minor discomfort, but it can save a life.

George is hopeful that a donor will be found. When he first learned about his cancer he was terrified, he said, but after a short time, his fears were assuaged by his good friends — at work, at church and in the small town where he lives. “Prayer and friendship are the only things you have to keep you going,” he says. “I am blessed. Now it’s ‘wait and see’.”

APWU-represented employees who turn out to be a life-saving match for George (or another person in need) will be eligible receive up to seven days of paid administrative leave to cover qualification and donation.

George’s situation is urgent, so please don’t delay.