Why we support

Be The Match and Aflac believe that all donors are lifesavers including Aflac employee, Steve Karas, who saved a little boy’s life by donating blood stem cells. Steve joined the Be The Match Registry^®, well over a decade before he got the call saying he was a perfect match for a 1-year-old boy with a rare disorder called osteopetrosis. The only hope for a cure was a bone marrow transplant, and Steve’s immediate answer was “of course”. One year post-transplant, Steve was able to meet the little boy and his family, and they have stayed close ever since. Steve was so inspired by this experience, he continued his quest to save lives by connecting his employer, Aflac, to Be The Match for a series of employee engagement and recruitment events nationwide. You can make an impact by joining the registry, fundraising or making a financial gift, or telling others they have the power to cure blood cancer.

 

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Over the past 35 years, Be The Match has managed the most diverse registry of potential unrelated blood stem cell donors and cord blood units in the world to save lives through cellular therapy. But even with such a large registry, there are still patients who do not have a donor match. 

Aflac and Be The Match have a shared vision to ensure everyone has an equal chance at finding their life-saving match. There is a dire need—especially for children of diverse ethnic backgrounds—to encourage people to join the Be The Match Registry.