FREMONT, CA: According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, every nine minutes, blood cancer takes an innocent life. This is partially because no match is found for a life-saving bone marrow transplant. If a person of South Asian descent needs a bone marrow transplant, the chances of them finding a match is only 50-70% (as opposed to 95% for Caucasians), and the chances of the match agreeing to donate is only 50% (as opposed to 85% for Caucasians).
Fortunately, you can help by registering at the national ‘Be the Match’ Registry being held at Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, 450 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale CA on January 1st, 2016 from 12:00 noon to 4:00PM.
A series of bone marrow recruitment drives in the Bay Area are being conducted by Rhea Modi, a Senior Girl Scout with Troop 60321, SU 608, and a sophomore at a local high school in Cupertino. She is running a series of bone marrow recruitment drives in the Bay Area. She is doing this community service as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
Rhea is sponsored by SAMAR (South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters) which is affiliated with Be the Match (supported by the NMDP).
‘Be the Match’ has issued an appeal to sign up at a recruitment drive to register more South Asians to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The appeal says, “Register yourself as a potential bone marrow donor and give the gift of life to someone suffering from blood cancer. It has never been easier to donate bone marrow. With very little discomfort and no risk or cost to the donor, here is your chance to save a life.
“Registering yourself is very simple,” it says. “You must be between the ages of 18 and 44. In less than
10 minutes, we can help you fill out forms about your basic contact information and you give us a DNA sample in the form of a cheek swab. All information you give us is completely confidential. Be the Match registry will contact you and confirm your registration in 2 to 4 weeks. Your information stays on the registry until you are 61 years of age during which time, if someone matching your tissue type needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant, you will be called to request a donation.”
For more information please refer to the following links: http://www.samarinfo.org/index.asphttps://bethematch.org
India Post News Service
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