By KALEY LYON

Hays Daily News

Teresa Boos knows what it's like to be on the waiting list for a bone marrow transplant.

During a bout with acute myelogenous leukemia, Boos received a life-saving transplant from a donor halfway around the world.

More than a year later, Boos, alongside her good friend Tina Wick, is fighting back by organizing a bone marrow drive for the Hays area.

"If I could be a donor, I would be," Boos said. "My only way to give back is by doing something like this. ... It's heavy on my heart."

The drive will be Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum, during the Fort Hays State University basketball games. Volunteers will be asked to swab the inside of their cheeks for a DNA sample and fill out paperwork to register as a donor.

The theme for the evening will be "someone's life depends on you," and the drive is sponsored by the National Marrow Donor Program.

It's important to note there won't be any blood -- or bone -- involved at the time, and the next step only will be necessary if the donor is a DNA match, she said.

"I've been told the chances of you being called are slim," Boos said. "That's how unique DNA matches are. But if we don't have enough donors, there's going to be more people hearing the words, 'We don't have a match for you.' "

If the donor is a match for someone, and chooses to proceed, the marrow can be removed in two ways. The first is through a needle injection, similar to donating blood, Boos said.

The second option is a surgical process in which the marrow is extracted from the bone, she said.

The bottom line, however, is donations can save lives, and they're needed now, said Boos, who said she credits her recovery to the transplant and to a deep faith.

According to the National Marrow Donor Program, about 6,000 individuals are in need of a marrow donation daily.

"Somebody needs that marrow now," she said. "I think about, if my donor would have said, 'I'll donate next year,' I wouldn't be here."

Bone marrow drives are a rarity in Hays. Already, many people on campus and throughout the community have offered their support, Wick said.

"It's just amazing how everyone's willing to help out and chip in," she said. "A lot of people want to make a difference, and I think we'll have a good turnout. This is one way you can actually overcome cancer."

The marrow donation program has agreed to cover costs for the first 60 college students who register Saturday. All minority students' costs will be covered, and Hays Medial Center's Dreiling/Schmidt Cancer Center will pick up the tab for an additional 10 donors, Wick said.

Others wishing to donate will be asked to pay a tax-deductible fee of $25 for DNA typing.

A fundraising campaign also has been arranged for individuals who want to help with the efforts, in hope to waive donation fees for more people, she said.

"Who wouldn't want to save someone's life?" Wick said. "Everyone's affected by cancer sooner or later, unfortunately, and this is a way that you can help."

Reporter Kaley Lyon can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 138, or by e-mail at klyon@dailynews.net.