(AURN) -- July is African-American Bone Marrow Awareness Month and blacks awaiting bone marrow transplants face a harsh reality. Of the 10-million potential bone marrow donors in the “Be The Match Registry,” only 7% of eligible donors are African-American.

Ryan Carter a 20-year-old football player for the University of Massachusetts Amherst donated his bone marrow and saved the life of a 5 year old child. He's working daily to dispel some of the myths and misperceptions about bone marrow donation.