Officers Give Hope (OGH) started as a multi-agency public safety effort dedicated to hosting marrow donor drives in the hopes of finding a match for those patients awaiting a life-saving transplant. Officers Give Hope originally began in May of 2000 when Honolulu Police Captain Alvin Nishimura was diagnosed with leukemia and in need of a marrow transplant. Two unrelated donors were identified for Captain Nishimura, but both elected not to proceed through the process. A number of public safety agencies who also had members stricken with leukemia began hosting marrow donor drives in the hopes of finding their loved ones a life-saving match. Although another match was eventually found for Captain Nishimura, he later succumbed to the disease. Officers Give Hope has partnered with law enforcement and public safety agencies across California to “Save Lives Through Marrow Drive” and had an initial goal of adding 10,000 potential marrow donors to the national bone marrow donor registry. To date, they have far surpassed that initial goal by recruiting more than 17,000 new donors to the national registry. As a result of this tremendous effort, over 100 lives have knowingly been saved or extended. In November 2008, Officers Give Hope was recognized by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and received the inaugural National Marrow Donor Program National Service Award. Currently, Officers Give Hope is working in partnership with the National Marrow Donor Program (Be The Match) and other organizations committed to increasing the national registry in hopes of saving patients everywhere, who are in need of a lifesaving marrow/stem cell transplant. We are conducting drives throughout the State of California at various law enforcement and public safety facilities, as well as other community events.
