Editor’s Note: An AAPS family whose 8-year-old daughter, Natalia, was recently diagnosed with leukemia has asked us to put out a plea for people—especially those of mixed race—to consider joining the bone marrow registry at Join.BeTheMatch.org and donating their baby’s cord blood to a public cord bank.
Natalia is a third grader at Pattengill who has not been able to attend school so far this year. Her mother, who wishes not to be named, writes:
Our 8-year-old daughter, Natalia, was recently diagnosed with leukemia. We hope she will not need a bone marrow transplant, but this will depend on her response to chemo. As of right now, there are NO full matches in the bone marrow registries in the entire world for her, being a combination of Latina, Chinese, and white. We need your help!
Did you know that although 77% of white individuals can find a match on the registry, only 41% of Asians, 46% of Latinos, and 23% of African-Americans can? For someone of mixed race like our daughter, the odds are very small and so we need your help.
Please consider joining the bone marrow registry at Join.BeTheMatch.org!
Registering involves an easy cheek swab that is sent by mail.
Also, if you know of any expecting parents who might consider donating their newborn’s cord blood to a public cord bank, this might also be an option for her. If not a match for our child, your donation might save someone else’s life.
Please share this request with those you know across the world, especially with your friends of mixed racial background!
Thank you!ng the bone marrow registry at Join.BeTheMatch.org.
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