Community pulls together for bone marrow drive

DYERSVILLE -- An Eastern Iowan community spent their Saturday registering to be a match. Hundreds participated in a bone marrow drive inspired by 8-year-old Ryan Burchard who is battling leukemia. The more people on the list, the better odds of finding a match for people Burchard.

"This is only one simple way that you can help someone. I may not be helping Ryan but if I can save the life of a child or an adult, its just so important," said Gloria Bockenstedt, Ryan's great aunt. For the nearly 10,000 patients battling life threatening illnesses each year, only about half of them find a match for a bone marrow transplant. So when the community of Dyersville heard about Burchard's leukemia diagnosis they were inspired to host a bone marrow registry drive.

"Ryan is well known in the community, everyone wanted to do something. So I had lots of people calling," said Lynn Steger, of Dyersville. "I say this over and over that if I lived in a bigger city, you wouldn't have this. Some people don't like living in a small town. But even though you're not blood relatives, your family here," said Bockenstedt.

Registering to be a donor is just four steps. First, you read over the guidelines to make sure you can register. Then you fill out the paperwork. After that, someone looks at your paperwork. The Last step, is possibly the easiest, a simple swab of the mouth. "I had people come in today and as we are swabbing they say, oh this is all I have to do?" said Bockenstedt. "it's important, if we match one child today, that's hope for one child," said Steger. The small town is hoping to make a big impact. Not just for one of their own, but anyone in need.