USTCAF and USTCAA-SV will join about 30 organizations in the SF Bay Area to organize a marrow/stem cell drive for Yu Jian. The leading organizations are SCEA, CNETWORK and AADP (Asian American Donor Program).

Dear Members and Friends,

You could be the one to save a life! A Chinese student Yu/Jian in Texas was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. He is fighting for his life in the coming 6 to 12 months. The intensive chemotherapy he is receiving now can only put the cancer into remission temporarily. For his life to continue, he needs a stem cell transplant.

Love is the best medicine. A week after Yu/Jian was diagnosed with the cancer, his girlfriend Shen/Lu married him. Shen/Lu believes in her love and a miracle. Let’s all share her faith and make the miracle come true.

http://www.yujian.org

Yu/Jian has no brothers or sisters, who are usually the best candidates for stem cell donation. He could not find a HLA type match in the current registry database. His hope relies on more potential donors signing up the registry, especially Chinese/Asian donors who have a higher chance to match him.

More than 30 organizations in Silicon Valley are planning events to get public awareness in San Francisco Bay Area, which has the largest Chinese/Asian population in the US.

We need your SUPPORT!
You could be the one, we are looking for you!

With the help from AADP (Asian American Donor Program), a Marrow/Stem Cell Drive will be held to sign up potential Marrow/Stem Cell donors.

When: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 10, 2004.

Where: Ranch 99 of Milpitas Square, 190 Barber Lane, Milpitas, CA 95035

Questions & Answers:

Q: How do I sign up to become a potential donor?

A: You must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in general good health. A simple blood test is needed by an authorized NMDP Donor Center or Marrow/Stem Cell Drive to obtain your HLA type so as to be entered onto the National Registry.

Q: Will it cost anything to become a potential donor?

A: No, it’s free to become a potential donor.

Q: What’s the blood test procedure?

A: 1> Fill out the consent form. (About 15 minutes) 2> Go through the medical review questions conducted by a medical staff. (About 5 minutes) 3> A finger is pierced and 5 drops of blood are collected for testing. (About 2 minutes)

Q: If I am not feeling well at the time for the actual donation, do I have to be forced to donate?

A: No, donor’s health and well being has a higher priority than the patient’s.

Q: Any side effect for the donor from the actual donation?

A: No side effect has been found as of today’s medical technology given the general good health of the donor.

Q: Can I get tested for a specific patient (i.e., a family member or a friend)?

A: NMDP maintains a registry database of unrelated potential donors willing to help any patient that they might match. Individuals can be tested through NMDP and ask for a copy of their results at the time of testing. If they are interested in getting tested only for a specific friend or family member, they will need to have a private blood test. Contact the transplant center, a donor center, a blood bank or the patient's transplant physician for suggestions.

Q: How is the bone marrow match between the donor and the patient?

A: To increase the likelihood of successful transplantation and to minimize potential complications, it is important that the transplanted marrow matches the patient own marrow as closely as possible. Human beings usually have different sets of proteins, called human leukocyte-associated (HLA) antigens, on the surface of cells. The set of proteins is identified as HLA types by a special blood test.

The success of transplantation depends largely on how well the HLA antigens of the donor match those of the recipient. The higher the number of matching HLA antigens is, the greater the chance is that the patient body will accept the donor bone marrow.

Close relatives, especially brothers and sisters, are more likely than unrelated people to have the HLA type match. However, only 30 percent of patients have a HLA type matched siblings or parents. The possibilities of HLA type match from an unrelated donor are small, but the uses of marrow from unrelated donors are increasing in recent years.

For other general questions, call (800)593-6667 or e-mail asamdonors@aadp.org