Jurnee Farrell
Student
Athlete & Be The Match Advocate
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Affiliation
Student
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Hometown
Denver, Colorado
Quote
If you get the opportunity to save someone’s life with such an easy process -- you shouldn’t hesitate.Biography
When Howard University criminology major and volleyball player Jurnee Farrell had to choose between playing in the MEAC playoffs and saving a stranger’s life, the decision was, in her words, “a no-brainer”. In 2017, Farrell signed up with the donor registry for Be The Match, an organization that matches patients in need with potential bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donors, with the encouragement of head volleyball coach Shaun Kupferberg. Two years later, Be The Match contacted Farrell, saying that she was a match to a 57 year-old woman with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She spent her final conference tournament recovering on the sidelines, encouraged by her coach to go through with the donation. Jurnee Farrell hopes to be an example that will encourage more African Americans to sign up as potential donors. According to Be The Match, the chance of Black patients finding a donor match is 23%, the lowest rate of all ethnic groups. Howard University has partnered with Be The Match to increase the odds of Black patients finding a donation. To join the Howard registry, you may register online at join.bethematch.org/howard.