Angelita Rovero:

Marrow Angel Saves Lives

A television report on a local marrow drive sparked Angelita Rovero's interest in the National Marrow Donor Program. Little did she know the report would change her career choice, from sheriff to donor recruiter.

"I saw a story on TV where Sgt. Sylvia Smith was asking the community to come forward and join the Registry," Angelita said. "I thought I could hold a drive at my college. I needed funding so I went to the finance board to sponsor the drive for 300 people." The drive recruited more than 200 people.

Angelita became motivated to volunteer with American Red Cross (ARC) Southern California Region on a regular basis. "She came to us as a volunteer to assist with high profile patients," said Pat Conlee, ARC Southern California Region donor center coordinator. Rovero dedicated most of her volunteer time to child patient Mario Molina. Mario had three possible matches, but "Mario died because the possible donors weren't educated and committed," Angelita said. She recruited more than 3000 donors during Mario-focused drives. After his death, she decided to work full-time as a Hispanic recruiter for the ARC Southern California Region. Although Mario lost his battle with leukemia, his story continues to assist Angelita in recruiting Hispanic donors. "Mario motivates me. He's the reason I'm here doing what I'm doing," she said.

Along with telling Mario's story, Angelita's recruitment success is attributed to holding press conferences once a month before her drives. The press conferences include area councilmen pleading to the community to join the Registry. "I call and ask the Latino councilmen to do a press conference. I set everything up so they can't say no. People listen to the councilmen," Angelita said. She organizes the press conference, writes the press release and contacts the local media.

During the press conference, patients, who are residents of the councilmen's community, speak about their experience in searching for a donor. "I usually have the parents say something, and that usually gets everyone's attention," Angelita said. She concludes the press conference by explaining the need for minorities on the Registry. She reminds the audience of how easily a disease can hit their families.

Two days after each press conference, Angelita holds a marrow drive, usually in a mall. "I like to have the drives at malls where there is already foot traffic. It makes it accessible to a lot of people," she commented. Angelita's news releases and personal phone calls encourage local radio stations to do promotions and live broadcasts at the drives. "Over 80 percent of the people recruited at my drives are there because they heard it on the radio," Angelita said.

Telling Mario's story of how two donors weren't available to donate helps Angelita explain the commitment needed to be a donor. "Education is the key when recruiting donors. Then they can say no if they're not going to be committed," she said.

Another part of educating donors, is answering their questions and correcting misconceptions of being a donor. "I show people their ignorance by reversing their ignorance. If they say, 'Giving marrow hurts,' I say, 'How do you know, have you been a donor?'" she explained. Relating to the people in the community aids Angelita in her efforts to educate potential donors. "When recruiting in the Latino community, I dress and talk like the people I'm recruiting, and I use the same language," she said. She commented that people are more apt to listen when she talks like they talk.

Angelita's entrepreneurial skills of holding press conferences and recruiting the media to cover drives have proven successful. "She is very passionate and has really good ideas. She wants to make an impact," Conlee said.

She has made an impact. Hispanics in the six Los Angeles county area are now more educated about the National Marrow Donor Program because of one "angel," Angelita Rovero. She's an angel saving lives.