CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Domingo Live began Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with a visit from the National Marrow Donor Program, or NMDP.
It's a nonprofit that researches cell therapy treatment for blood cancers. The organization also provides bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants to patients in need.
Like two-year-old Bella Sanchez, who died of leukemia before she could find a stem cell donor.
According to NMDP, this is far too common, especially for Latinos.
"She was just the most compassionate and most beautiful little girl, but didn't get that second chance, again, because of the lack of Latinos on our registry," account manager of NMDP Leticia Mondragon said. "When we compare that to our white and Caucasian patients at 79%, [it] drops down dramatically low for Hispanic and Latinos with 48% chance."
According to NMDP, Latinos only make up 13 percent of their donor registry.
You can learn more about NMDP's research and stem cell donation process at nmdp.org.
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