Taking a swab giving a chance
Capt. Richard Figueiredo, 552nd Operations Support Squadron, takes a cheek swab from an Airman during a Bone Marrow Donor recruitment drive in Bldg. 283 Oct. 14. The drive collects DNA from potential donors to match them with a patient. Some donors are never matched, while some who are matched may wait years before getting a call to donate. During the drive, more than 400 people registered with the Department of Defense Bone Marrow Center. Captain Figueiredo himself is a recipient of a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with Acute Myloid Leukemia in 2006. His brother was the donor. “It was a life changing experience that reinforced my commitment to help the fight against cancer,” the captain said. (Air Force photo by Micah Garbarino)