Be the One to Save a Life
Register to be a Marrow/Stem Cell Donor
San Francisco, CA – Jeremy Kong, 2 years old, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on June 27, 2012. He is in urgent need of a marrow transplant. This procedure is Jeremy’s only hope for his long-term survival. A marrow/stem cell matching donor must be located before any transplant takes place. Jeremy is Chinese and lives in San Francisco. His parents were born and raised in San Francisco.
“Our hearts have been heavy since his diagnosis, but completely broke at the thought of losing our son,” says Anthony Kang, Jeremy’s father.
It’s difficult to watch a loved one with a long-term illness linger, when, with more resources, their pain might be eliminated and they might have a new lease on life.
Those who are not Caucasians are more likely to die of leukemia or of other blood cancers. This is because there is a shortage of ethnic donors on the national Registry.
What’s the Solution?
Encouraging more people of Chinese, Asian and non-Caucasian heritage to join the Registry and potentially save a life. Each of us can ―Be The One to Save a Life! For Jeremy, as no family members are a match, it is likely that someone of Chinese or Asian heritage will be a marrow/stem cell match for him. The Asian American Donor Program (AADP, www.aadp.org) is a 22-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Alameda, CA, that works to educate community members about the shortage of ethnic marrow/stem cell donors and the importance of joining the registry. It is the oldest nonprofit of its kind in the country.
AML is a disease of the bone marrow that is characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that interfere with the production of normal blood cells. These abnormal cells crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs.
According to Carol Gillespie, the AADP executive director, there is a shortage of nonCaucasians on the Be The Match® national registry. “We need everyone of Filipino, Asian, multi-ethnic and ethnic minority ancestry to step forward and join the marrow registry,” Gillespie says. “When a marrow match is not readily available, patients have to wait longer than is ideal to find a match. When a patient must wait, their body becomes weak and may reject a transplant, once a marrow match is found.”
How You Can Help
• Go to these upcoming drives and do a cheek swab to join the ―Be the Match National Registry
Sept 22, 2012 (Sat)
Ranch 99 Concord
1795 Willow Pass Road, Concord CA 94520
11am-3pm
Sept 22, 2012 (Sat)
St Patrick Proto Cathedral
389 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose CA 95113
9am-1pm
Sept 22, 2012 (Sat)
18th Street Asian Health Fair, Oakland
310 E 18thStreet, Oakland CA 94606
Walgreen’s parking lot
10am-2pm
Sept 22, 2012 (Sat)
Alice Fong Yu School, San Francisco
1541 12th Ave, San Francisco CA 94122
10am-2pm
Sept 22, 2012 (Sat)
Sunset Community Festival
3223 Ortega Street, San Francisco CA 94122
11am-3pm
Sept 23, 2012 (Sun)
Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Lower Hall
1555 39th Ave, San Francisco CA 94122
10:30am-1:30pm
Sept 23, 2012 (Sun)
Sharon Chinese Baptist Church, SF
1620 Irving Street, San Francisco CA 94122
1:30pm-3:30pm
Sept 23, 2012 (Sun)
Saint Anne of the Sunset Church
Lower hall: entrance on the 1300 block of Funston Ave
850 Judah Street, San Francisco CA 94112
10am-1:30pm
Sept 23, 2012 (Sun)
Berkeley Thai Buddhist Temple
Wat Mongkolratanaram
1911 Russell St. Berkeley CA 94703
10am-1:30pm
Find out about other drives that you can attend or have a home kit mailed to you.
Go to http://www.aadp.org/
• Contact friends and family and encourage them to go to a registration drive or register using a
home kit.
• Set up a drive in your area by calling AADP at 1-800-593-6667
• Volunteer to help at registration drives or in the AADP office.
