Edmonson County woman needs life-saving stem cell donor match

EDMONSON, Ky.-54-year-old Robin Gipson is fighting for her life. 

“If I don’t have the treatment, it’s just gonna get worse. I don’t have the energy I had before,” said Gipson. 

She has cancer in her spleen and a bone marrow failure disorder called Myelodysplastic Syndrome. She was told by doctors that her best chance at life is through a blood stem cell transplant. 

“Hopefully I find that bone marrow match,” said Gipson. 

And there’s a chance she could find that in her community. DKMS, the world’s largest blood stem cell donor center, is holding a drive to find Robin a match at the Brownsville Community Center. 

“The more people we can have sign up and be added to the donor pool, the more second chances at life we can provide,” said DKMS Donor Recruiter Amy Roseman. 

Right now only 2% of the population are signed up as stem cell donors. 

“Events like the donor drive for Robin tomorrow are so important because you never know who might be inspired to sign up through her story and might be able to save someone’s life,” said Roseman. 

Anyone in good health between the ages of 18 and 55 are eligible to sign up. The process is easy- a simple swab of the cheek to find out if you’re a match. 

Robin is so selfless…even if she doesn’t find her match, she said she knows this event could help someone else in the same situation. 

“Even if it ain’t me it could be somebody that you know because my family would’ve never dreamed two months ago that this would be where we’re at. So I hope this could help somebody else,” said Gipson. 

If you can’t attend, you can still find out if you’re a match virtually. Click here for more information.