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Gift of Life Marrow Registry Celebrates World Marrow Donor Day with Launch of Groundbreaking Smart Phone App
[September 20, 2017]

Gift of Life Marrow Registry Celebrates World Marrow Donor Day with Launch of Groundbreaking Smart Phone App


The Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a nonprofit public bone marrow and blood stem cell registry, announced the launch of their groundbreaking new app, SwabApp for both iOS and Android (News - Alert), on World Marrow Donor Day (WMDD). The day recognizes the millions of volunteer donors who have joined marrow registries worldwide in the hope of saving blood cancer patients in need of transplants.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170920006068/en/

Donor Chris Mattson meeting his recipient Rory Kemp on the set of NY1. (Photo: Business Wire)

Donor Chris Mattson meeting his recipient Rory Kemp on the set of NY1. (Photo: Business Wire)

The multi-functional smart phone app facilitates the donor registration process with streamlined access to pre-screening questions and the donation process. From joining the registry to managing appointments if one is called as a match, the app provides a seamless experience for donors while offering opportunities for participating in the nonprofit's events and fundraising.

"Since its inception, Gift of Life has prided itself on being innovators in the field of bone marrow donor recruitment and we are thrilled to have debuted the app on such a special day," said Gift of Life Founder and CEO Jay Feinberg. "Our team worked tirelessly to create an app that makes it that much easier to save a life and put that power i the palm of peoples' hands."



The new app is the latest in a long list of "firsts" accomplished by Gift of Life. They were the first to recruit donors via cheek swab kits, first to utilize its website to allow donors to register and the first to offer mobile registration for donors at recruitment drives.

To further celebrate, Gift of Life, in conjunction with U.K.-based marrow registry Anthony Nolan, arranged for 13-year-old Rory Kemp of Scotland, diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 9, to meet his life-saving 28-year old donor, Christopher Mattson of Pennsylvania, for the first time. The meeting took place at NY1, Spectrum's (News - Alert) 24-hour TV news channel in New York City and was aired throughout the day to spread awareness of the importance of joining the marrow registry. The donor, an aspiring writer in graduate school, joined the Gift of Life registry in March 2013, and just over a year later, was notified that he was a match for the little boy.


"I acted on impulse when I stopped by a Gift of Life swabbing table and I'm so glad that I did," said Mattson. "I encourage everyone out there to visit Gift of Life's website to learn more about the process and how simple it is to join the registry."

Later that night, the Empire State Building lit up in orange (the international color for leukemia awareness) with the help of Francesca Curran and Miriam Morales - cast members from the hit Netflix series Orange (News - Alert) is the New Black. Other iconic New York City buildings that showed their support by glowing in orange were One World Trade Center, Renaissance New York Midtown, East River Plaza and 230 Park Avenue.

Gift of Life is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA), a global organization of blood stem cell and marrow registries that originated the annual World Marrow Donor Day event.

According to the World Marrow Donor Association, more than 30 million people from over 55 countries have joined registries. Over 50,000 patients per year look for a matched donor outside their family and almost half of the patients that find a donor, find his or her perfectly matched donor in another country.

For more information about Gift of Life and saving lives through bone marrow and blood stem cell donation, please visit www.giftoflife.org or call 561-982-2900.

About Gift of Life

Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a national non-profit based in Boca Raton, is dedicated to the prospect that all people battling blood cancer deserve a second chance at life. The organization is singularly passionate about engaging the public in a HUGE mission to "Help Us Get Everyone" involved in curing blood cancer, whether as a marrow or stem cell donor, a volunteer or a financial supporter. It all begins with one remarkable person, one life-changing swab and one huge win - finding a match and a cure.


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