When I found out that mixed folks are the least likely to find a match for bone marrow donations, I was overcome with a few thoughts. First, I became instantly appreciative of having two sisters who are also British and Pakistani. Second, I thought I should go on a quest seeking out British/Pakistani folks and be extra nice to them just in case I ever needed a donor. Third, I got really angry that there were so few mixed folks and people of color on the national registry of donors -- the likelihood of finding a match is connected to your ethno-geographic background.
Then I decided to do something about it. I registered to become a donor at the 2005 Mixed Heritage Week at UC Davis. So far I'm not a match for anyone, but at the end of every year, the national registry sends me a nice letter to my parent's house, checking that my contact info is still the same.
Three years after becoming a donor, I ended up at the CBS 5 and The CW 44/Cable 12 reception for Asian Pacific History Month, honoring the Asian American Donor Program for their dedication to increasing the number of APIAs on the bone marrow donor registry. It was so exciting to be at an event honoring the same people who raised my awareness and signed me up as a donor. It was also a good reminder that there is a lot of work to be done.
When Jonathan Leong accepted the award on behalf of AADP, he walked up to the podium with an 8-year-old boy who was looking for a match. As Jonathan put it, they are trying to find matches for people who need a transplant "like yesterday." He apologized that Yul Kwon couldn’t attend the reception. Yul Kwon has become the poster boy for raising awareness since the passing of a good friend that never found a match.
Right now, folks like Michelle Maykin are waiting for a bone marrow transplant. She needs to find a match by June 21, 2008 - less than a month from now -- and her best bet is someone who is Thai and Vietnamese.
