As cancer has touched a close friend's family these last two years, I have learned that people of Asian, Pacific Islander and Multi-Racial descent are desperately needed to register as potential bone marrow/stem cell donors. When a person of Asian, Pacific Islander, or Multi-Racial descent is in need of a life-saving bone-marrow transplant, there is often great difficulty finding a match due to the shortage of potential donors who are registered. For example, a South Asian person's odds of finding a match are estimated to be 1 in 20,000 compared to 1 in 15 for a person who is Caucasian.
Today, we remembered a man, who was a husband, doctor, son, and friend to many. With the help of his family and friends, he organized hundreds of bone marrow drives across the country that registered over 24,000 South Asians while he looked for a donor for himself and others. This movement started by one person's quest increased the registry of South Asian donors by 20%, and will save lives for years to come.
However, there is still a great need for more people to register.
For more information, please check out
this link.
