LINK TO LIFE NETWORK, INC.

Link To Life Network, Inc., a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization, was formed in 1992 to assist the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) in its efforts to register minority bone marrow donors. Our mission is to increase the opportunity for African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans with life threatening diseases to obtain bone marrow transplants by increasing public awareness of the need for minority potential bone marrow registrants.

Link To Life Network, Inc., has successfully recruited over 1,200 potential donors annually covering the northeast corridor and as far south as Georgia.

An Official Recruitment Group of the Be The Match Program®.

THE NEED FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN DONORS

Each day, thousands of African Americans face a frightening dilemma. They suffer from leukemia, aplastic anemia or other life-threatening blood diseases. For many, their only chance of survival is a marrow or blood stem cell transplant.

These transplants require matching certain tissue traits of the donor and patient. Because these traits are inherited, a patient’s most likely match is another family member. Unfortunately, 70 percent cannot find a match within their own families. The need to recruit more African American donors is particularly acute, because their heritage tends to be more diverse.

They need an unrelated individual willing to donate healthy stem cells. Stem cells are immature cells that can develop into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Although it is possible for an African American patient to match a donor from any racial or ethnic group, the most likely match is  an African American.