SACRAMENTO–Support for a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer with bone marrow cancer has led to a statewide drive, March 12 to 19 to register potential donors who could also help save the life of a stranger.
In 2014, Officer Keith Meter of the CHP Santa Ana Area office was identified as a potential donor for a young girl. During the screening process to donate his marrow to save her life, however, he was found to be suffering from a form of cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome. Officer Meter, an 18-year veteran of the CHP, is currently being treated by City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., which is seeking a marrow match for him.
Following Officer Meter’s diagnosis, the CHP Santa Ana Area office began working with several donor registry partners to lead a statewide drive for “Stand Up for Keith – Team Meter Marrow Drive.” The partners include City of Hope, a cancer research hospital; Be the Match, the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world; Officers Give Hope, a public safety effort to host marrow drives; and BloodSource, a blood center in Northern and Central California.
A donor registration drive will take place at more than 36 locations throughout the state. The “Stand Up for Keith – Team Meter Marrow Drive” is seeking participation from CHP employees, other state agencies, and the public to support Officer Meter and thousands of others by joining the marrow registry. Potential donors should be between the ages of 18 and 44, and must meet health eligibility guidelines and must make a good faith commitment to donate to anyone in need if they are a match. During the drive, volunteers will provide participants with registry information and then take a cheek swab to determine if they are a match for Officer Meter or any other person in need of this lifesaving procedure.
“We would not wish this illness on anybody,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said, “but the enthusiasm and involvement of so many in this drive may lead to a lifesaving match for Officer Meter as well as for others who need treatment.”
Information about the dates and addresses of the CHP Area offices holding drives can be found at www.chp.ca.gov/BoneMarrow. Additional marrow registry information can be found at www.bethematch.org and www.officersgivehope.org.
