Battle cancer with Sisters fire program

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District is hosting a free, public drive to register people with the Be The Match bone marrow registry to help those who are battling cancer.

The drive is being held on Monday, September 21, from 3 to 7 p.m. in the community hall located at 301 S. Elm St. in Sisters. This drive is a part of the Firefighters With Matches effort to register firefighters who wish to help those suffering with cancer. The typing process is quick and simple and only requires a painless cheek swab to obtain the necessary information. It is required for donors to be 18 to 60 years of age, in generally good health, and willing to donate to any patient in need. No appointment is necessary. Just drop in and join the registry.

Bone marrow donation is a vital therapy used to treat those suffering from blood cancers such at leukemia and lymphoma. Unlike blood donations, which can be used to help multiple patients, bone marrow donation is very specific to donors and patients who match detailed DNA profiles. When a patient needs a marrow transplant, the patient's relatives are typically assessed to determine if there is a viable match. Often, it is necessary to look outside the patient's family to find a donor who is completely unrelated. This requires a registry of willing participants who have already gone through a typing process.

The Be The Match ambassador from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District is Fire Medic Damon Frutos. His brother, DeRew, was diagnosed last year with T-Cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and has been undergoing treatment for about a year. Part of this treatment included bone marrow therapy, and it was necessary for Damon and his three other brothers to be assessed for a match. Unfortunately, no match was found for DeRew amongst his family, but fortunately DeRew was able to harvest his own bone marrow after special treatments.

This is not the case for every patient. DeRew's treatment has been successful, and as of August of this year he has been deemed "cancer-free." It will take an additional five years of maintenance treatment and evaluations with no signs of cancer before he can be declared cured, but the first big hurdle has been overcome.

Damon joined the registry many years ago because of his desire to help others and it made for a much quicker, easier, and cheaper typing process. Normally, there is a charge to be assessed for a match, but with public Be The Match drives it is completely free of charge.

Firefighters in particular are at greater risk of blood cancers due to the carcinogens which are often encountered in burning buildings. Firefighters who are diagnosed with blood cancer often receive a tremendous outpouring of support from their fellow firefighters as well as the community at large.

Joining the Be The Match registry is a way to show your support of those who risk everything for the safety of their community. The Bend Fire Department and Redmond Fire & Rescue are also holding a public drive on the same date, at the same time, at the Bend Fire Department Training Center located at 63377 Jamison St. in Bend.

For more information contact Fire Medic Damon Frutos at 541-549-0771.