The Berkley Department of Public Safety Announces the "Be the Match Challenge"
Berkley DPS would like to challenge all law enforcement agencies in Oakland County to see which department can register the newest donors to the bone marrow registry. The number of donors each department registers will be tallied in three months to determine the winner.
In December 2015, a Berkley public safety officer was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He has been in remission after receiving five months of treatment. While he was fortunate enough not to need a stem cell transplant, his cousin now has AML and is in desperate need of a stem cell match.
Each of the 39 law enforcement agencies in Oakland County will be given their own “BDPSChallenge” link that their residents can use to order “Be the Match” cheek swab kits. Each kit will be sent to their homes where they can perform the mouth swabs to determine if they are a match for someone in need. The kits come with directions on how to perform the swab, and a postage paid envelope to return it.
The Berkley Department of Public Safety’s link is: join.bethematch.org/BDPSChallengeBE
Participants must be between the ages of 18-44, in relatively good health, and most importantly, willing to follow through with the process if they are ever selected as a match for a patient.
For more information about the “BDPSChallenge,” please contact PSO Brian Gothard at (248) 658-3380 or bgothard@berkleypublicsafety.net. To find out more about “Be the Match,” please go to www.bethematch.org.