The Be The Match Program's mission is to establish a system which provides transplants of stem cells from unrelated donors for patients with leukemia and other life-threatening blood diseases.

There is only a 30% chance of finding a match within the patient's family. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are inherited, much like skin, eyes, and hair color, and a match is most likely within the patients' own ethnic group. Each year thousands of racial minorities die from leukemia and other blood diseases because of the low number of minority donor volunteers registered with the NMDP.

The Be The Match Program of Central and South Texas added 17,273 new marrow donors onto the National Registry in 2010. STBTC had over 70 matched donors give a marrow or adult stem cell donation in 2011.
 
Registration drives are carried out on a regular basis and frequently special events are held to promote awareness of the need for more potential donors to join the registry.

South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is an authorized donor center of the Be The Match Program®. For more information on our marrow/stem cell program, please e-mail Yvonne Ybarra, call (210) 731-5513, or visit marrow.org.