20,000 Americans need a stem cell transplant every year. A stick of 'hero gum' can help find their match

20,000 Americans need a stem cell transplant every year. A stick of 'hero gum' can help find their match

20,000 Americans need a stem cell transplant every year. A stick of 'hero gum' can help find their match Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with blood cancer. Fortunately, stem cell transplants can help replace damaged blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones following treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. An estimated 20,000 Americans need a stem cell or marrow transplant every year, but only 30% of patients find a match within their families.  The remaining 70% rely on strangers through donor registries, like Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a nonprofit that sends cheek swab kits to willing donors across the country, in hopes of finding a match for cancer patients in need. While the cheek swab method has worked for the organization for over two decades, a new technology aims to recruit even more donor sign-ups across younger and more diverse populations. Introducing: Hero Gum. Hero Gum is now available online. Photo courtesy of Gift of Life Marrow …