This informational meeting on bone marrow donation is part of the 6th national week of mobilization for bone marrow donation from Monday, March 7 to Sunday, March 13, organized by the Biomedicine Agency in collaboration with the French Blood Establishment, hospitals, and supported by associations. Friday, March 11, 2011, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. & Saturday, March 12, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the NICE ETOILE Av Jean Médecin Nice.
The goal? Recruit 18,000 new donors in 2011 and diversify the profiles registered in the France Bone Marrow Transplant Register.
Each year, 2,000 people with serious blood diseases, such as leukemia, lymphomas, as well as other lesser-known blood conditions, need to be treated with a bone marrow transplant. Each bone marrow donor can thus offer a patient an additional chance of recovery.
A new mobilization campaign around Life Watchers
In 2011, the new mobilization campaign for bone marrow donation highlights the commitment of donors, a population of men and women it aims to unite by creating a community: the Life Watchers. With the illumination of a large red vigil light in the heart of Paris on Friday, March 4, at the Trocadéro’s Parvis des Droits de l’Homme, symbolizing the thousands of Life Watchers ready to be available for patients, extended by organizing field events in 9 major French cities on March 11 and 12, the Biomedicine Agency aimed to raise awareness of their commitment. For the patients, to show them that a significant community is on alert for them. For the Life Watchers, to encourage them to mobilize and gather around them. For future volunteers for donation, by encouraging them to join this community and be part of the 18,000 new donors hoped for in 2011.
The people of Nice are called to mobilize for bone marrow donation around a Life Watchers event on March 11 and 12, 2011.
NICE is one of the 9 major French cities selected to host this event in favor of bone marrow donation, alongside Bordeaux, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Limoges, Marseille, and Paris.
An opportunity for the people of Nice to express their solidarity for this great national cause.
On-site, healthcare professionals involved in bone marrow transplants and association volunteers will also be present to inform the public, answer questions, alleviate any concerns related to this donation, and guide potential volunteers in their steps to become bone marrow donors.
Visitors will be invited to participate in the collective creation of a giant mural, by writing testimonials and messages of encouragement to patients and donors, which will be gathered on a large exhibition wall.
As the day progresses, the myriad of messages will gradually form the strong symbol of this campaign: the red vigil light of the Life Watchers.
At the end of the event, the mural showcasing the numerous expressions of support will be presented to a local association.
The more donors there are, the higher the probability of saving a patient
This mobilization is essential for recruiting 18,000 new donors in 2011. To better meet the patients’ needs, an objective of 240,000 registered donors has been set for 2015.
This would allow both to find a compatible donor more easily in France for patients awaiting transplants and to further participate in international solidarity with the 71 partner global registers.
