MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NMDP^SM, a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy, will host the first-ever NMDP Unite: a community celebration to find cures and save lives. The inaugural event series will raise funds for NMDP’s patient assistance program and blood stem cell research initiatives.

Increasingly, patients are reporting cost as the primary barrier to transplant. NMDP’s patient assistance programs provide much-needed support, helping families navigate the transplant journey and live healthier lives. In 2023, NMDP provided $5.5 million in assistance to more than 2,600 families.

“Affording care should be the least of concerns for patients and their loved ones. Yet, there are so many transplant-related costs not covered by insurance, which makes our patient assistance program so imperative,” said Joy King, Chief Advancement Officer, NMDP. “We are tremendously grateful for our financial supporters, whose dollars are helping families offset the costs of co-pays, short-term housing and more. NMDP Unite is a community celebration to support this critical lifeline that is supporting thousands of families through treatment every year.”

NMDP Unite, which falls on the global celebration of World Marrow Donor Day, will bring together patients, donors, families, and medical providers at local events in three cities (Minneapolis, New York City and Los Angeles) – as well as online via a digital experience. Through music, food and fun, participants will celebrate the lives and “rebirthdays” of patients, honor loved ones who are no longer here and champion cures. More information on how to register, fundraise, donate and attend can be found on NMDP Unite.

Celebrity supporters of NMDP will also be in attendance, including Naz Reid, center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, in Minneapolis; professional women’s basketball player and Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart in New York City; and gymnast and three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas in Los Angeles.

“I'm passionate about NMDP because their mission is close to my heart. I lost my mentor, Rudy Roundtree, to blood cancer a few years ago and want to do everything I can to honor his legacy." Reid continues, "I hope people will come out, have some fun and help raise money for a good cause."

Funds raised during NMDP Unite will also support NMDP’s Donor For All research initiative to improve outcomes and make transplants more accessible, especially for ethnically diverse individuals. NMDP continues to conduct and invest in research that significantly expands options for those without a fully matched donor, helping ensure every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy.

About NMDP^SM
At NMDP^SM, we believe each of us holds the key to curing blood cancers and disorders. As a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy, NMDP creates essential connections between researchers and supporters to inspire action and accelerate innovation to find life-saving cures. With the help of blood stem cell donors from the world’s most diverse registry and our extensive network of transplant partners, physicians, and caregivers, we’re expanding access to treatment so that every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy. NMDP. Find cures. Save lives. Learn more at nmdp.org.

Contact: 
Erin Bix
media@nmdp.org