ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University will host a “Lemons for Leukemia” event on campus to add people to the national Be the Match registry.

The event will take place 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, April 30, in the NSU Student Center lobby. People who participate will have their cheeked swabbed to have their tissue type included in the national registry, which could potentially help patients in need of a stem cell transplant.

The catalyst for this event is Carolyn Thompson, the 2018 Distinguished Alumna for the NSU School of Business and spring commencement speaker. In 2015, Thompson was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia. Her life was saved by someone who participated in a similar Be the Match program – a stranger who turned out to be a perfect, 10 out of 10, match to her. Thompson created a Lemons for Leukemia video to encourage people to “be the match” and help support patients with leukemia:

Thompson isn’t alone: 70 percent of patients needing a marrow transplant do not have a fully matched donor in their family. There are 14,000 patients each year whose only hope for a cure is a transplant from someone outside their family, according to information from Be the Match.

Anyone age 18-44 is welcome at Monday’s event at NSU. People age 45 and older are welcome to register online at the NSU Be the Match web link.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $45 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.