‘Swabface’, An Amusing Video Challenging Others to Join the ‘Be the Match’ Bone Marrow Registry and Help Save Lives

Our friend Drew Olanoff of Blame Drew’s Cancer, who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma for a second time and is currently seeking a bone marrow match, has now partnered with filmmaker Kestrin Pantera of Let’s Ruin It With Babies, to create the Swabface project, a web project that challenges people to register with the Be the Match bone marrow registry. Pantera also created the accompanying amusing video “Be the Match – #Swabface” in which she portrays several posh characters making ugly faces while swabbing themselves and challenges others to post their own videos with the #swabface tag.

recently a few friends got super bummer diagnoses and i felt paralyzed by the darkness, but with the help of #LOLAWOLF and some amazing friends,* we took action by showing how glamorous and easy it is to join the bone marrow registry to save a life: Go to bethematch.org, get a kit and film it (slomo = best). upload to fb/vine/IG & tag the shit out of friends who’d make funny-ass videos. for sure tag your most prolific friends/colleagues/crushes and get them on-fucking-board. …Post your #swabface and tag 5 friends to share their #swabface

Be The Match is a non-profit organization that assists in matching people with blood cancers with those who are able to donate their marrow. The simplest way to find out if one is a match is to do a simple cheek swab (with or without making ugly faces in the process).

By joining the registry you are taking the first step to being the cure for patients with blood cancers like leukemia and other marrow diseases. It is also a commitment to take the next step if a patient needs you to donate your cells for a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Joining the registry requires a sample of cells, usually collected by swabbing the inside of your cheek. We use this sample to compare specific protein markers, known as human leukocyte antigens (HLA) with HLA markers of patients who need a bone marrow transplant.

Be the Match has also provided “The Journey of a Swab” to help people understand the process more clearly.

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips