University of Mississippi joined the search for a life-saving bone marrow donor between classes on March 19 and 20. Tables lined Business Row as volunteers encouraged students to participate in a bone marrow registry drive for Cate Hargett, an 11-year-old Greenwood, Miss., native in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant match.
Cate Hargett is the sister of Ali Hargett, a freshman dietetics and nutrition major at UM. Cate’s mom, Jeni Hargett, said the family arrived on campus with a sense of hope and urgency.
“We’re here because Cate is looking for a match,” Jeni Hargett said. “She doesn’t currently have a match in the registry, which really surprised us.”
Cate Hargett has been in the registry since infancy, but recent medical tests revealed a TP53 genetic mutation. When healthy, the TP53 gene prevents cancer and works to keep cells healthy. Mutations, however, make it possible for cancer cells to multiply, meaning time is of the essence for the treatment.
“We’re kind of on the clock,” Jeni Hargett said. “We want to find a match so that if it becomes time for a transplant, we’re ready.”
Students who stopped by the drive were asked to register for the National Marrow Donor Program and complete a cheek swab. The process is painless and takes less than a minute.
Samples are used to determine a person’s human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type, which is key to matching donors and recipients. Unlike blood donation, bone marrow matching is based on genetic markers, not blood type. As a result, finding a compatible donor can be difficult.
“The way that we match is very specific,” Jeni Hargett said. “It has to do with your genetic makeup, not your blood type. For some reason, we’ve really struggled to find that match for Cate.”
Younger donors often lead to better transplant outcomes, a major reason why college students are so important to the registry.
“That’s why being here on a college campus is so important,” Jeni Hargett said. “Hopefully her match is here today.”
But beyond the uncertainties and competition, Jeni Hargett said the support the UM community has offered has been overwhelming. That support reached Cate in a particularly meaningful way when former Ole Miss Football star A.J. Brown shared her story on social media.
“The support here has been amazing,” Jeni Hargett said. “That was the happiest she has been in a long time. … This has been really hard. There’s a lot of unknown.”
