Mission Statement
Genny's Hope Foundation is an all volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, fully incorporated in the state of Colorado. Our mission is to increase the number of committed enrollments on the bone marrow donor registry by generating awareness, interest, and the desire of donors to test and register. We recruit new bone marrow/stem cell donors and help them get enrolled at Be the Match, the U.S. registry, or DKMS, an international center. Volunteers from our foundation run the donor drives as well as raise money to help 1) offset lab processing of cheek swab kits and 2) to raise awareness for the need to increase donor registrations.
Description
Did you know a stem cell transplant could save the life of someone with an incurable blood cancer? However, 70% of the time, individuals will not find a match within their own families and must rely on the national and international registries in which to find an unrelated match. We are a non-profit that runs bone marrow donor registration drives at colleges and universities. Our goal is to help increase the odds that all who would benefit from a stem cell transplant find a match.
Our inspiration, Genny (Genevieve) Pogar Johnson, underwent a matched unrelated donor stem cell transplant at the age of 33 to cure two simultaneous blood diseases: pMF (primary myleofibrosis), and MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome). Genny is incredibly grateful to her donor, a 28 year old man from Europe who literally saved her life. Now we pay it forward to help others like Genny.
Approximately every four minutes one person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every 10 minutes, an individual will die from a blood cancer. Many who suffer from incurable blood cancers would benefit from a stem cell transplant; however,six out of ten patients will not receive the lifesaving transplant they need. Additionally, the diversity of the bone marrow donor registry must be increased. Per the U.S. national registry, Be the Match, " Patients need donors who are a genetic match. Even with a registry of millions, many patients cannot find a match. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially needed."
Genny’s Hope Foundation seeks to change the odds by increasing the number of committed, diverse enrollments on the national and international bone marrow/stem cell donor registries. It is simple and easy to enroll as a donor (just a cheek swab).
