For patients afflicted with life-threatening blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, and their families, the hope of finding The Match is a life-affirming decision. Indeed, a cure exists for these blood cancers but its success lies in finding the match necessary for blood marrow transplant. 

And this is where Be The Match comes in. The non-profit organization operated by the National Marrow Donor Program has worked for the past 25 years in matching donors with recipients for blood marrow transplantation. In the process, the organization has provided hope for patients and their families as well as contributed to saving their lives. 

The dedicated staff of Be The Match has managed the world's most diverse, and the largest, marrow registry. But it was not always so. The organization started as a small group of people willing to donate their time, energy and even money to screen blood donors for marrow matching. The movement grew from a neighborhood effort to a national program involving thousands of patient families, doctors, and volunteers as well as community leaders, politicians and even the military - the U.S. Navy funded the effort. 

Before Be The Match came into the picture, the database on blood marrow donors was limited. Within the first year of its founding, the organization had 10,000 donors on its database and the number just keeps on growing. With so many potential donors, the patients have increased chances of finding their match and, thus, making their transplant a reality. 

Aside from the donor registry, Be The Match also invests in medical research, patient support and education, and innovative technologies into saving more lives. This is an organization widely recognized as one of the trusted leaders in the industry and the world cannot thank it enough. 

Today, Be The Match has facilitated over 70,000 transplants for marrow and cord blood. It has partnered with many groups including the Medical College of Wisconsin, which created the organization's research arm, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, for more advancements in the fight against blood cancers.