If ' I 1 l 1 i 4 H ^ _ M A < A 4l ? 11 [ p $ 1 I B id *** v Br ?? ? ? ? ,.,< M ?j^B m ' ? ^P*W X ^.^V V *? O i * sfNar If ^B r *B m f 1 B W^ M M B I H ^ B^ A v>.-?- . v I r ^ t? ;: oi ?> ? ? ? ? ? %_ a ^B. ^ -* I : X ? w B B?Bmb Ji - t ^*^PP ? n 4.- / ? B* ^V f I I I ft/IP a # -m 'Mks- . - 1/ ? y ^b *-?? IK' steve ^ First Lumbee Bone i Marrow Donor, Calls It Answered Prayer Steve Cummings of Pembroke will become the first Lumbee Indian to be a Boae Murow Dooor sometime during the month of May 'Because of the confidentiality of the American Red Cram," Mr. Cummings stated." 1 am unable to tell you anything other than that it will be some tune in May. I know that the recipient is a 28 year old male. That is all 1 know about him personally. " Receiving personal information about the person in need is not important to Steve Cummings What is important to him is the opportunity to help someone else "It is exciting to be a donor. "Cummings said. "To have an opportunity to save another human life is an answer to prayer. 1 believe it is God's will. And 1 am expectinga full match." The only uncertainty seems to be if the patient can live long enough tc tech. the tran^pi ,ut. The patient has acute leukemia and is in critical condition. These medical facts do not cause Cununings' ; faith to waiver. "There is no question in my mind about ; dtia.1 have prayed for God to give me the opportunity to be a donor....! wish 1 didn't have to donate....! wirii there was no one who neededa transplant....But that is wishful thinking. There are many people out there who are in need of a bone marrow transplant. And I consider it a privilege to be able to donate. .. 1 cant describe the feeling that you have when you realize that you are the one who can save this person," Cummings continued. The much between Cummings and the patient is con sidered a perfect natch. It is the same as being a twin, Cummings explained. All the tests that are required to become a donor have been perfect matches. There are three major tests required to become a donor. The first is a simple procedure, the HLA tissue typing. It requires the drawing of two tablespoons of blood. The second test is the DR typing and the third is MLC typing where the donor's Mood and the patient's blood is mixed to see if the Mood matches. The unique tissue characteristics of an individual's bone marrow are inherited in the same way one inherits riiia, eye and hair color. This means that when no matching aster or brother is available, the beat chanceof finding a matched marrow donor is with someone from the same racial background. Cummings explained the procedure for donating bone marrow. "Donating bone marrow does not mean that you donate bone. It means that you donate marrow, this is very similar in appearance to blood." Cummings will go to Nortii Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem to donate the marrow. He will he there the first day for interviews and farther tests. He will donate the next morning and, if everything goes well, he will return to his motel room for the night late the same afternoon. "It involves approxinmiety three days in time. Bnt the satis ? - - faction of saving a live is more important than time Bone marrow will live (or twelve hours outside the body, so tke transplant will place immediately following the donation. The procedure does require anesthesia and some discomfort because the marrow is drawn from the hip with ? needle, fee Urge pelvic boat. The procedure takes anywhere from 45 minutes to one and half hows Cunnings said that he decided to become a donor he said, "my father has donated Mood. He taught me respect for life and to do anything 1 cottid to help others I have been donating Mood since I was 18 years old. Later 1 began to donate phoreses (platelets), the ingredi ent in the Mood that causes it to coagulate. 1 was asked if I wanted to be placed on the registry tor possible bone marrow donation, and 1 said yes." That was in 1990 and oe February 23 the nutiai match ing began From that testing. Cumnuags was placed in the international registry and the rest will soon be history. Cummings would like to see many other Indian people became donors. He encourages other Indians to go for the initial testing "There are certain gene factors preva lent among Indians that makes the need for Indian donors greater. There is a great need to get more Indians in the registry" Bone marrow replenishes itself within two weeks. And there is some pain involved m donating, but Cummings believes that discomfort is a small price to pay to save another life ^OTmtn^id|UMMhe uppyumty ^ great need of others, especially people who are strug gling for lift This experience has opened my eyes tot lot of things We need more Christians with a perspective on life., a perspective to extend life and give of our selves to others." "1 believe that the reason the number of Native Ameri cans who ate on the registry for manow donations is the fear of the pain that may be involved mid a lack of knowledge. These two things prevent people from tissue typing. 1 hope that 1 can be used by God to help dispel some of this fear and lack of knowledge of what being a donor really means It means that this person (in nsed of a transplant to live) really needs you. We need soma faithful commitments from Christians and act just fal low concern" Cumimngs is now considering the importance of being an organ donor. "I look at this opportunity asamoacle for life and an answer to prayer. I am humbled by the opportunity and sobcit your prayers for the patient." While Cummings admits he is curious about the patient, he said: "I am placing all my frith in God. 1 would rather know that he was saved than to know Ms name. The greatest reward for me would be to know that he is saved." Cummings will have the opportunity a year after the transplant to meet the patient. Cummings is not only the first Lumbee to become a donor, but alio the first employee with the Srate of North Carolina. He is employed with the Department of Cor rections ss a Corrections Officers at Wagram. He hopes also that other state employees will become donors. He is the son of Fred end Voncille Cummings of Pembroke and is married to the former Derleae Tyler. He is the fetter of two chOdren, Holly and Tyler. The National Manopr Donor Program, a network of transplant dooor centers and collection centers, maintain a computenxed data bank available tiseue typed dooori nation wide. Persons interested in the program may contact the NMDP at 1-800-654-1247 or the Share Life Program(H 3. Bullaid, spokesperson) at 738 ?. ?": "' .' ".*? - + " ? ? ? % -J'i $SkJ