Swab Right to Make a Match & Save a Life

Did you know:

• You can give someone with blood cancer a second chance at life by donating your blood stem cells or bone marrow
• Ethnic background plays a part in matching for a transplant. Recent data* shows that Asians and Pacific Islanders have only a 47% chance of finding a match due to an underrepresentation of AAPI donors in the registry
• To sign up for the donor registry, all you have to do is swab the inside of your cheeks for 3 minutes then mail back the kit

I first learned about blood stem cell donations and their tremendous impact through a social media campaign. Seeing there was a shortage of Asian donors on the registry, I immediately signed up. While I don’t have a personal connection to blood cancers, I do know what it’s like to be at the hospital bedside wishing there was anything that could be done to save my fiancé’s life. If I could give someone and their loved ones more time together, then any discomfort or inconvenience would be worth it.

The donation process was fairly simple and painless. I was examined to confirm that I was the perfect match for my recipient and that I was in good health to donate. A date was set and I prepared for the big day by getting some shots to help me produce extra white blood cells. These injections have some uncomfortable side effects but they were all tolerable and temporary. Due to my petite size, the collection process took longer than usual but I had a queue of shows to binge and wonderful nurses who took excellent care of me to help the time go by quickly. Then off my bags of stem cells went to the recipient for the transplant to save their life!

Please consider expanding the donor registry by signing up and sharing this page with others. You never know if you can give someone a second chance at life. Request a free swab kit now!

*The odds of finding a match based on ethnic background:

Black or African American - 29%

Asian or Pacific Islander - 47%

Hispanic or Latino - 48%

Native American - 60%

White - 79%