Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. partnered with American University’s Gift of Life organization to celebrate diversity and Hispanic Heritage Month with bracelet making and swabbing for potential bone marrow transplants on campus Sept. 21.
Bone marrow transplants rely on genetic makeup, making ethnicity crucial to finding a matching donor or patient. Historically, there has been a significant lack of African American, Hispanic, Hawaiian, Asian American and Pacific Islander donor registry members, making this process unnecessarily hard for patients in need of a transplant. To encourage diversity in the registry, Gift of Life provides free oral swabs to test and match potential patients across the globe.
In correspondence with Gift of Life, Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. held a bracelet-making event celebrating Hispanic culture. When one of their members was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2023 and found a match in their sorority, it opened up their eyes to the importance of diversifying the registry.
“I’m hoping that we just get as many people on,” Lilia Mei Bose, co-president of AU Gift of Life and 2025 graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences said. “There’s a huge need for diversity [in the registry], and it’s such an easy thing to do. It takes five minutes of your time but it can actually save someone’s life.”
Zoe Swaine, co-president for AU Gift of Life and a senior in CAS, said the organization’s goal is close to her heart.
“We help to fight blood cancer,” Swaine said. “My dad was able to actually save a little boy's life, and we keep in touch with that family, so this club is close to my heart.”
Human leukocyte antigens or HLA genes are the main signifiers when matching with a donor. Although all humans have them, they are inherited and can be complex, which makes an individual’s ethnic background a key component.
Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-based sorority. The University’s Epsilon chapter is composed of both Georgetown University and AU students.
Amanda Bates, the Point person for the Epsilon Chapter of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc., said the organization is focused on involvement beyond the undergraduate experience.
“I think part of [our message] is to be on campus and to let the campus know that we are here,” Bates said. “We have been here since 1996 and we’re excited to increase our membership. The other part of [our message] is the importance of la comunidad to the AU community. It’s something where it is not just a matter of giving back to the community but building community.”
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Maya Cederlund, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Ella Rousseau and Ariana Kavoossi.
