July marks African-American Bone Marrow Awareness Month, and singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins of the popular '90s music group TLC is speaking out to encourage people, especially in the African-American community, to sign up to become potential bone marrow donors. To get the word out, T-Boz has partnered with Be the Match Registry in order to help decrease the numbers of those with leukemia, lymphoma and sickle-cell disease through bone-marrow transplants.

T-Boz was diagnosed in 2006 with sickle cell anemia, a disease in which red blood cells form an abnormal crescent shape. The disease affects bones located in one’s back and chest. Other symptoms include chest pain, ulcers, strokes and abdominal pain.

“As a person with sickle-cell disease and an advocate for everyone fighting this disease, I was naturally drawn to Be the Match,” Watkins said in a statement. “Unfortunately, myths about bone marrow donation keep many people from joining the Be the Match registry and potentially saving a life. That is why I am passionate about encouraging everyone to learn the facts about bone marrow donation through these PSAs. We need more African-Americans to step up.”

There is a close to 93 percent chance of finding a bone marrow match on Be the Match if you are Caucasian, but the numbers are as low as 66 percent if you are an African-American or another minority. Only 7 percent of the nine million people on the registry are African-American.

In promising news for those afflicted with the disease, in 2009, researchers for the first time performed a successful bone marrow transplant to cure sickle-cell disease.

To learn more about African-American Bone Marrow Awareness Month and to learn how to help save a life, visit here. 

(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox/PictureGroup)