On the first day of school two and a half years ago, Charles Clark was diagnosed with leukemia lymphoma.
Now a junior, Clark is a member of the committee working on Marrowthon, a bone marrow registry and blood drive taking place today and tomorrow in association with the Vanderbilt Cancer Society and the National Marrow Donor Program.
Clark’s personal reasons for participating in the Vanderbilt Cancer Society overlap with his appreciation for its role as a unique service organization at Vanderbilt.
“(The Vanderbilt Cancer Society) is an amazing program, and the bone marrow drive itself is a good program that we have at Vanderbilt,” Clark said.
While Clark was fortunate to find a bone marrow match within his family, he noted that this isn’t always possible for cancer patients suffering from leukemia lymphoma and other blood-related cancers.
Around 70 percent of cancer patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant are able to find close matches in blood and tissue type within their family. The others look to the NMDP for assistance.
“This program is for people who need a bone marrow transplant but can’t find a donor within their own family,” Clark said. “For me, it really hits home, and while I didn’t go through the program, I think that it’s a special thing to do here.”
In the past, the bone marrow and blood drive has been a success in terms of participation from the Vanderbilt community.
Cancer is usually seen in patients who are at the extreme ends of the age spectrum, and young adults often fall through the cracks. Campus programs like Marrowthon can raise awareness.
“My story is trying to help raise awareness for people not just my age but for all people,” Clark said. “(Students) realize that it could happen to anybody no matter what age you are.”
Clark’s attitude and plans for the future were shaped the year he took off from school for his treatment. After graduation, he plans to continue to raise awareness about cancer and issues in rural health care and is considering medical school.
“You try to reprioritize things in your life, and I think for the most part I have tried to change for the better and take in the overall picture of life,” Clark said.
“It’s a wake-up call.”
— Janelle Stokes can be reached at janelle.k.stokes@vanderbilt.edu
