The LSU community came together Thursday to help find a match for an 11-year old battling a rare blood disorder.
This blood drive was put together by the LSU National Marrow Donation Program, which partnered with a local ESPN station to help spread awareness to find Cate Hargett a blood match. Over 500 members of the community joined the registry.
Cate has an inherited bone marrow failure disorder that she has had since she was an infant. Her bone marrow cannot produce healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that she needs to survive.
Jenni Hargett, Cate’s mom, has been a fierce advocate for her daughter, hosting blood drives at University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and University of Arkansas. When discussing where to go next, Hargett said that LSU seemed like a natural choice.
“The people in Baton Rouge and the people at LSU have just been unbelievable and so willing to help us because none of this would have happened without the support of so many people,” Hargett said.
Hargett explained that she had a former student who interned with Chris Kiffin, LSU football’s co-defensive coordinator. With Kiffin’s support, the Hargetts earned official support from the athletics department, and from there, planning for the drive took off.
Representatives from the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System have also hosted blood drives at their hospitals in Cate’s honor.
Cate is a St. Jude patient out of Memphis, Tennessee, where she undergoes routine bone marrow biopsies. Because of her bone marrow failure disorders, Cate is at a significant risk of developing childhood cancer, making regular biopsies paramount.
At a biopsy in October, Cate and her family learned that she had developed a TP 53 mutation, which is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. Fearing that Cate is developing a life-threatening malignancy, her family rushed to find an HLA match.
“We know that the more HLA markers that match between the donor and the patient, particularly with a donor from the ages of 18 to 35, the greater the chances of success and the five-year survival rate for the patient,” Hargett said. “Right now, Cate doesn’t have that. If we can find that, then her survival rate at five years post-transplant is way over 80%, and you know, as a parent, you want that number to be as high as possible.”
Miranda Robinson, a representative from the NMDP, helped organize the event for Cate.
They helped organize and explain the drive to those walking by. She stated that the process is simple and quick: individuals wanting to sign up need to complete a short registration form and provide a cheek swab, which collects cells from inside the mouth. They then use this sample to determine their tissue type and are added to the registry.
“We partnered with the community and supporters who wanted to take action and make a difference for Cate,” Robinson said. “When someone is in need, it often inspires others to step up, raise awareness, and host drives to help expand the registry and improve the chances of finding a match. Team Cate has been absolutely phenomenal to work with. Something truly special about those from the Delta.”
However, while there are millions of people on the registry, she said that the chance that a volunteer will match with Cate depends on a variety of genetic factors. She said that the chances are relatively low, but every person who joins increases the odds of finding a match.
Hargett noted that through this process of finding Cate a donor, she has learned how easy the process to be a donor is. It used to be a lengthy invasive process. However, science has come a long way, and now it only takes a few hours in the afternoon.
Robinson wants individuals to know that there are many meaningful ways to help if someone is unable to join the registry. Individuals can help spread awareness, encourage others to join the registry and volunteer at future drives.
“Every effort helps move us closer to saving lives,” she said.
Robinson also encouraged LSU students to get involved with future drives.
“We are always looking for opportunities to conduct classroom presentations and collaborate with organizations,” she said. “We would love for more to get involved. NMDP is recognized as a registered student organization on campus and is accepting new members. We meet once a month on campus. Students receive volunteer hours, graduation cords and the opportunity to help lives.”
To learn more ways to get involved with Cate’s story, @team.cate on Instagram helps spread awareness and updates on Cate’s journey.
