Stem cell confusion deters donors

You can thank the mainstream media for this one because they endlessly hype embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and simply refuse to make a clear distinction between ESCs and adult stem cells in hopes that "Average Joe" will stay in the dark.  Looks like they have succeeded and according to the following, people may be dying as a result.  From SuburbanChicagoNewsOnline.com:

Steve Klein regularly coordinates blood drives through Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Bartlett, but his latest effort to find donors has been more challenging than usual.

In recent weeks, Klein has worked to publicize stem cell donor drives in Elgin and Bartlett. The events aim to add area residents to a national registry that matches sick patients who need transplants of healthy blood-forming cells.

The cells are collected from the blood of adults and are not related to highly controversial embryonic stem cells. Still, Klein said that some people incorrectly link the two and are deterred from participating in the drives.

Julie Tilbury, coordinator of the National Marrow Donor Program for the Rock River Valley Blood Center, said cells will be collected at the drives from healthy volunteers ages 18-60 through quick cheek swabs. She said the collected cells will then be shipped off to be compared with those of patients on the registry.

"Our need is so much larger than the transplants that we do," Tilbury said. "The biggest challenge is we just don't have the donors."

Tilbury said confusion about the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells is one barrier to convincing people to join the registry.

"Often times, when you hear stem cells, there's a belief that there's only one type of stem cells — those that come from embryos," she said. "The reality is that there are so many different sources of stem cells. Our marrow is one source."

The national marrow organization estimates that each year, transplants could benefit more than 35,000 children and adults with life-threatening diseases.

"This has just been pushed to the obscure side," Klein said about the need for stem cell donors. "People are dying because of it."

I think us pro-ASC folk need to "walk the walk" as well as "talk the talk".  I am part of the National Marrow Donor Program, are you?