Our Amma was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Her condition is critical and at this time, she is fighting for her life under the care of a great medical team at City of Hope. Hoping for the best, we are preparing for the next phase and are desperately searching for a stem cell transplant donor for her continued survival.

Unfortunately, none of her siblings or children were a 100% match. Further, the search for a donor in the international registry has been unsuccessful. We are reaching out to you to request your consideration in being a possible donor for Amma. If you aren’t already registered, we would be grateful if you could participate in our search by signing up to join the national bone marrow registry. There is a great need for more people of South Asian ancestry to join the registry, as well as for people of all ethnic backgrounds.

The actual donation procedure requires either a blood draw from the arm or a liquid marrow draw from the bone, both done by needle. The results would have minimal affect on the donor and a life-saving impact for the recipient.

If you have never signed up for the national registry before, you can do so for FREE by going to join.bethematch.org/swab4ap i

This link is directly attached to Amma’s file at City of Hope and they will be immediately notified of the results for comparison.

The registry process requires you to go to the website, click on the tab to Join and fill out your info online. A buccal swab will be sent to your home to complete and then mailed directly to the lab.

If you have previously signed up for the national registry or if you are unsure whether you have, it is a good idea to call and confirm that your information is up to date and accurate so that you are reachable if you are a match. If they are not able to get ahold of you, they will drop you from the registry. The number to call is: 1 (800) MARROW-2.

If you feel inclined to be an exclusive donor for Amma but do not want to become a member of the national registry, there is also the option of private HLA testing for a cost of $195 through www.bonemarrowtest.com

If you are not located in the United States you can use this link to find the bone marrow registry in your country, register with them, request for the results and pass them on to us. https://share.wmda.i nfo/display/WMDAREG/Database I’m sure you will have many questions about the selection criteria, commitment and process of becoming a donor. The Be The Match FAQ site: https://bethematch.org/s upport-the-cause/donate-bone-m arrow/join-the-marrow-registry /faqs-about-joining/ is very helpful and though we’re still learning, we are always here to help find answers to any of your questions.

From the bottom of our hearts we are so very thankful for your consideration in this vital opportunity to help save our Amma’s life. Please feel free to share this information to others you know who are interested to join.

You can find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SaveVasundra/

Anjana Pathmarajah Muthulingam, MPH Columbia University

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