In order to promote awareness of the upcoming 18th Annual Okeechobee Blood Roundup to be held at the Freshman Campus Auditorium on Nov. 18 and 19, we share stories of local Okeechobee folks who have received donations of blood and the difference it made in their lives.
Mark Garland is a corrections officer with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office and works at the county jail. He plans to retire on Oct. 31. He is sharing his story of receiving a blood transfusion, and he wants to educate people about Lynch Syndrome.
Lynch syndrome is among the most common hereditary cancer syndromes. Estimates suggest as many as 1 in every 300 people may be carriers of an alteration in a gene associated with Lynch syndrome. People who have Lynch syndrome have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. There is also an increased risk of developing other types of cancers, such as uterine, ovarian, stomach, pancreatic, and brain cancer. In addition, cancers associated with Lynch syndrome are more likely to be diagnosed at a young age.
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