Recognizing May 28, 2026, as National Marrow Donor Program Donor Day in the State of New York

Assembly Resolution No. 1488

BY: M. of A. Ra

        RECOGNIZING May 28, 2026, as National Marrow Donor
        Program (NMDP) Donor Day in the State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official days which enhance  awareness  of  meaningful  causes  and  pay
tribute   to   those  individuals  whose  extraordinary  generosity  and
compassion save lives; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
recognize May 28, 2026, as National Marrow Donor Program  Donor  Day  in
the  State of New York, and to honor New York's NMDP life-saving donors;
and

  WHEREAS, Every three to four minutes, someone in the  United  States
is diagnosed with a blood cancer; and

  WHEREAS,  A  bone  marrow  or blood stem cell transplant can cure or
treat more than 75  diseases,  including  leukemia,  lymphoma,  aplastic
anemia, and sickle cell disease; and

  WHEREAS,  Approximately  75  percent of patients do not have a fully
matched donor within their family and must rely  on  the  NMDP  to  help
locate  an  altruistic  volunteer  donor of marrow, blood stem cells, or
cord blood; and

  WHEREAS, For nearly 40 years, NMDP has provided hope and healing  to
patients  by managing the national registry of volunteer blood stem cell
donors, and in the summer of 2026 will reach the remarkable milestone of
facilitating 150,000 bone marrow and blood stem  cell  transplants  made
possible through the selfless commitment of volunteer donors; and

  WHEREAS,  Young  donors between the ages of 18 and 35 are especially
needed to join the  registry,  as  research  demonstrates  that  younger
donors often contribute to more successful transplant outcomes; and

  WHEREAS, NMDP partners with college students across the State of New
York  to  host  donor  recruitment  events  on  more than 34 college and
university campuses in 2026, including  efforts  at  Hofstra  University
that resulted in nearly 80 newly registered potential donors; and

  WHEREAS,  Eight  institutions  of higher education in New York State
currently maintain dedicated NMDP chapters, including the University  at
Buffalo,  New  York  Institute of Technology, CUNY Hunter College, Stony
Brook  University,  Syracuse  University,  Hamilton  College,  New  York
University, and Cornell University; and

  WHEREAS,  New  York  State  is  home  to  13 transplant centers that
provide these life-saving treatments, as  well  as  six  collection  and
apheresis  centers  that  collect  blood stem cells and bone marrow from
volunteer donors; and

  WHEREAS, This resolution is inspired  by  the  366,275  New  Yorkers
currently  listed on the NMDP registry who stand ready to donate, and by
the 730 New Yorkers who have answered the call  to  provide  life-saving
donations during the past five years; and

  WHEREAS, Designating May 28, 2026, as NMDP Donor Day in the State of
New York will provide an opportunity to recognize these selfless donors,
raise  public  awareness,  and  encourage  more  individuals to join the
registry in support of future life-saving transplants; and

  WHEREAS, On May 28, 2026, members of the public who meet eligibility
criteria will have the opportunity to inquire about joining the registry
at the New York State Legislative Office Building; and

  WHEREAS,  The  countless  New  Yorkers  who  have  joined  the  NMDP
registry, and those who have gone on to donate bone marrow or blood stem
cells,  embody the highest ideals of compassion, selflessness, and civic
responsibility, offering hope and a second chance at  life  to  patients
and  families  facing  devastating illness, often for complete strangers
they may never meet; and

  WHEREAS, Recognizing May 28, 2026, as NMDP Donor Day in the State of
New York will provide an opportunity to recognize these selfless donors,
raise public awareness, and  encourage  more  individuals  to  join  the
registry in support of future life-saving transplants; and

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize May 28, 2026, as National Marrow Donor Program  Donor  Day  in
the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body encourages all New Yorkers to
learn more about blood stem cell donation and to  consider  joining  the
NMDP registry in order to help save lives.