EastCounty VOLUNTEERCOURIERSONMISSION TO SAVELIVES

BY PAMKRAGEN

LAMESA

Wellbefore dawnlast

Monday, La Mesa retiree

BrendaPatrick got out of bed,packedaspecial cooler with frozen packets,threwa backpack overhershoulder andheadedforSanDiego InternationalAirport.By8 a.m.she was on a flight to Florida to collectsome very preciouscargo

Patrick, a retired nurse practitioner isoneof 570 Americanswho volunteer theirtime year-roundas couriers,hand-carryinglifesavingvialsandbags ofdonated bonemarrow blood stemcells and umbilical cord blood to transplantpatientsforBethe Match, the donor registry maintained by the National Marrow DonorProgram. Courier work isunpaid, stressfulandoften exhausting,withup to 20-hourdays wearingPPE gearinairports,planes,trains,cars andhospitals.ButPatrick saidshethriveson the challenge and rewards ofthe job.

SinceOctober2020 shehas undertakenmore than 30 couriermissions,andshe vows to carry onaslongas she’s physicallyable.

“It’s absolutely rewarding. We’re savinglives,” she said.“Whathappens when you’re travelingis you’re so concernedwiththepaperwork, thedirections andtrying toget it donethat you forget aboutwhat you’re doing.Then when you deliver it, you realize ‘Oh,myGod, someoneis getting a transplant fromthis.’My very first delivery was bonemarrow to achildren’s hospitalin Texas andwhen I walkedoutof thereI was in tears.”

SinceBethe Match was foundedin 1987 theMinneapolisnonprofithasfacilitatedmore than 111,000 transplants. Manyofthose operationsinvolved the work of a courier eithera volunteer or a Bethe Match employee Last year, couriers averagedabout 500 trips each month.

Rut Kessel,the courier programsupervisor forBe the Match,saidtimeisofthe essencein gettingtheblood products to patientswithin 24hours,sothehuman componentofthedelivery processisabsolutely essential to itssuccess.

“Couriershave toget to thepatientassoonaspossiblewithout any hiccups, and even before thepandemicthere were lots ofhiccupslike weather delays, canceled flightsand flight crews going overtheirhours sotheycan’t fly anymore,” Kessel said “A courier thatis hand-carrying theproduct willdo everythingintheir power to keep itmoving.If snow cancelsthe flight, they’ll go find a carservice. In a pandemic,they’ll get vaccinatedand testedand keep goingbecause they know theyneed toget the product to itsdestination.”

Patricksaid figuringout travel logistics,dealingwith flight changes and meeting tightschedulesisalmostsecondnature to her, sinceshe traveledthe country as a dialysisproductsales representative formany years.

“Being a courier doesn’t require a medicalbackground.I justhappen to have one. You justhave to payattention be detail oriented,think on yourfeetand

BY LINDAMCINTOSH

EASTCOUNTY

Throughout February, El Cajon’s Grossmontand Cuyamaca colleges are puttingon workshops,musicperformances literature readings andanart exhibit to celebrate BlackHistory Month.

The free online and inperson community events honorthelegacies, traditionsand contributionsof BlackAmericans. CuyamacaCollege’s eventscanbeaccessedon theStudentAffairs website at cuyamaca.edu/studentsupport/student-affairs/culture-community-circle.php.

Grossmont College’s inperson eventswill beopen only to thecampus commu-

PREPSPORTS have good critical thinking skills,” Patricksaid.

Kesselestimatesthat more than 70 percentofBe the Match’s volunteer couriershave whatshe calls“skin in the game.” They’re compelled to helpbecause they’re either a transplant survivor or they have loved ones whohave benefited fromtransplants. Most couriersare alsosignedupas potentialdonorsinthemarrow registry.

“These are definitelypeoplewho want to beoutthere forsomeoneelse They’re notoutthere to crankup flightmilesorcreditcard points,” Kesselsaid.“I just got back from back-to-back couriertripstravelingall hours of thenightand waitingaroundinairports. That’s not thefunpart.The funpart isdoingsomething that trulymattersin a situation thatis even more complicatedrightnow with COVID.”

Patrickisnot a transplantsurvivor, but during her 15 yearswithKaiser Permanente intheBayArea, she worked for a timewith recoveringkidney transplant patients.Patrick retiredandmoved last June to SanDiego,where she grew up and hasfamily Withher grandkids grown,shesaid she was lookingfor ways to fillher free timeby giving back to the community. Her biggestlocal charita- nity because ofCOVID-19 protocols,butwillbeaccessible to everyonethrough livestreamviewingonthe Grossmont College YouTube channelortinyurl.com/ mtkpx588.

Here’s thelineupof events ateach of the community colleges:

CuyamacaCollege bleeffort isspending every Sundayafternoon withher cousinand friendsmaking care packagesoffoodand personalcare itemsfor homelesspeopleindowntown SanDiego.On weekdays,shemakes courier trips. BackwhenBethe Match was started, all of the blood andmarrow products were transported only by employees.Butby2004,thenumber oftransplantsforleukemia andlymphomapatientshad grown solarge thatthe volunteer program was started. Kessel saidthat today a little overthree-quartersofthe couriersare volunteers.The rest are staff.

•TheSoundsofBlackness:College HourProgram, presented by KendrickDial andBrisa Lauren, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. WednesdayfeaturingLyricalGroove,a local award-winningsoul, gospel, hip-hopandspoken-word band,livestreamed from the CuyamacaCollege Theater.

•OpenMic, 2 p.m. Feb. 16 to share your work orinterests.

Kesselsaidtheprogram neverhadahardtimerecruiting volunteersuntilthepandemichit,whenmanyofits older couriers opted to stay homebecausethey were ina highrisk groupforCOVID-19. Butsincethevaccinearrived, manyofthose retiree couriers havereturned to service,so she’s nolongerinneedofnew couriers.

Kesselsaid volunteer couriersrange in age from 21 to 80and they come fromall walks oflife.Dependingon theirpersonalcircumstances, volunteer couriers travel anywhere from two to 35 timeseach year Thelongest-serving courier is a retiredBethe Match employee whostarted makingdeliveriesbackin 1987