Ali Hargett, a sophomore public health major at the University of Mississippi from Greenwood, Miss., is determined to find a bone marrow donor for her 11-year-old sister, Cate Hargett. Hargett is hosting a National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry drive in front of the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29.
The NMDP is a global nonprofit whose mission is to save the lives of patients with blood cancer and blood diseases. Donors can sign up for the national registry on the NMDP website by filling out a quick questionnaire. The NMDP ships potential donors free swab kits, which it collects and stores to find matches for patients.
Cate Hargett was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder when she was an infant, but recently, the doctors discovered that she has a genetic mutation that acts as a marker for several cancers. Ali Hargett, her family and the NMDP are now rapidly searching to find a blood stem cell match to save Cate Hargett’s life.
“We learned that (Cate Hargett) has a TP53 mutation, which is the most commonly mutated gene in cancers,” Ali Hargett said. “We knew that a stem cell transplant would be needed, but unfortunately, no one in my family or in the international registry was a perfect match for Cate (Hargett). A perfect match will give her best long-term survival chances.”
Although Cate Hargett has endured more medical hardship than any child should, she keeps a positive attitude.
“Cate (Hargett) is one of the silliest little girls out there,” Ali Hargett said. “She might not be the best singer, but she’s always going to be singing, having a good time, laughing, and she’s also incredibly smart.”
Even with Cate Hargett’s positive demeanor, her health has affected her family in significant ways.
“The results came back, and she was no longer (a normal person). I think that sometimes is the hardest part,” Ali Hargett said. “I watch her do all these things and be a normal person, but then in the back of my mind, I’m like, ‘She’s literally having to fight through so much pain to do this.’”
Encouraging people to keep joining the NMDP registry to find a match for her sister and other patients with similar health conditions is the most important part of her initiative, Ali Hargett said.
“We’ve added over 10,000 people to the registry, which is insane to do in less than a year,” Ali Hargett said.
Erica Sevilla, public relations manager for the NMDP, said that despite the 9 million people already registered in the U.S., it’s important that people continue to join the registry.
“A lot of people are willing to donate, but trying to find the best match for somebody like Cate (Hargett), that is the big challenge, because it’s a very precise type of matching that doctors are looking for,” Sevilla said. “That’s why we need more and more people to just keep swabbing their cheeks and joining.”
If someone is unable to join the registry, there are other kinds of activism to participate in.
“Sharing a social media post, while it may seem like something small, could actually result in hundreds, if not thousands, of people registering, and that’s a lot of the work that Ali (Hargett) is now doing working with NMDP,” Sevilla said.
Sevilla acknowledged there is a lack of awareness and misinformation around bone marrow transplants, which keeps people from joining the registry.
“People don’t know that a registry exists, and they don’t know that we have stem cells that can potentially cure cancer or cure 75 different diseases. … The process isn’t scary, and it’s been misrepresented,” Sevilla said.
One common myth is that bone marrow donation involves major bone surgery. On the contrary, over 90% of donations are nonsurgical peripheral blood stem cell collections similar to donating blood through an IV, according to the NMDP. Additionally, donation is free and optional. The NDMP addresses several other myths relating to donation on its website.
Ali Hargett will continue to advocate for her sister until a match is found. She hopes to involve more clubs and organizations on campus in the drives.
“If anyone wants to host a drive with their club or with whatever organization they’re a part of, feel free to contact me, because we’re more than willing to do small swabbing events,” Ali Hargett said.
