Shaka Mitchell, J.D., adjunct instructor of political science, was recently interviewed on NBC’s “Rock Center with Brian Williams.” The June 14 program segment was about a woman challenging bone marrow donation law in order to save her daughter’s life. Mitchell, a 2001 alumnus of Belmont and an attorney, was interviewed on his beliefs in allowing bone marrow donors to be compensated in order to encourage more potential donors and save lives.
Currently, Mitchell is president of MoreMarrowDonors.org, a nonprofit that is among the first of its kind that would compensate bone marrow donors if the law changes. The pilot program wouldn’t compensate in cash, but rather in the form of scholarships, housing stipends or gifts to charity. That money would come from private donations, not from the patients themselves. It’s an incentive that advocates believe will change the attrition rate, motivating more donors to participate when called upon to help patients with various blood diseases.
Click here to read more and to view a short video clip and recap on the news segment.
