NORTH ATTLEBORO - Did you know there are thousands of patients every day with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases who depend on bone marrow donors to save their lives?

It is for that reason, in fact, that the "Be The Match Registry," the new name for the registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, continually holds registration drives.

Locally, the next marrow donor registration drive will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Bristol Masonic Lodge in North Attleboro.

The local drive is being held in memory of all local residents who have lost their battle with blood cancers, and in honor of an Angle Stone Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star member's niece who is fighting her second battle with cancer.

Eastern Star member Judy Galarneau's niece, 35-year-old Jennifer Barnes of New York, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on Jan. 25 and received a marrow transplant on April 1 from an unrelated donor. Barnes, 35, is a wife and mother of four young children, one of whom has some mental and physical challenges.

Despite all that Barnes has been through, however, she continues to make the most of her life, giving her aunt much reason to recommend that the drive be held in her niece's honor and urge people to come forward and help others as her niece was helped.

"My niece is a very strong person not only of faith but of soul," Galarneau said. "She has faced many roadblocks in her life, one of which was three years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer."

Barnes put a nursing education on hold to battle breast cancer and managed to finish school this past December only to find out the following month that she had AML and had to begin a battle with that disease.

She was fortunate enough to have a bone marrow transplant only a few weeks after a 38-day hospital stay for chemotherapy, however, according to her aunt, who considers her an inspiration for all.

"Jennifer is my inspiration and she does not let life and those big brick buildings get in her way," Galarneau said. "She gets a tank and just runs them over!

"Please be a donor," Galarneau urges. "Save a life, and you too can be inspirations like Jennifer."

Janette Boulay can be reached by phone or fax at 508-222-0993 or by e-mail at janette.boulay@gmail.com.