help save my friend, michelle maykin.
After not having posted for 7 days, I would like to divert from my typical modus operandi to write about something a little more personal and immeasurably more important. A dear friend of mine, Michelle Maykin, has been valiantly fighting leukemia for over a year. There have been victories and setbacks both - the current battle she is facing is finding a bone marrow match for a transplant in the next 5 weeks. It's a battle I know I can help help her fight, and I ask you all to help join this battle also. Your help can take as little as 5 minutes of your time. Please read on.
Background.
Michelle has been battling Leukemia since early 2007. After her 5th round of chemotherapy, her cancer finally "went
away." For the past several months she was finally able to return to normal
life. However, just last she learned she had relapsed with her blood levels worse
off than before.
What this means: Michelle needs to find a bone marrow match for a transplant within 5 weeks.
Finding a Match.
Michelle is of Vietnamese / Chinese decent, and the probability is higher that her match will come from a person of one or both of these ethnic backgrounds. However, a match could be from any ethnic descent (even non-Asian or
Caucasian). Consequently, "Project Michelle" volunteers are targeting ALL ASIANS to
increase the odds of finding a match. By getting more people to
register to be potential bone marrow donors, we are increasing the chance of
saving Michelle and any one of the 6,000 people in the US currently
searching for a donor.
How You Can Help.
- 5 minutes: Direct your friends / family to this post to get them involved
- 30 minutes: Register, it's simple: 1) fill out a few forms and 2) run a cotton swab on the inside of your cheek
- The Ideal Way: Go to a local drive. This ensures your cotton swab samples are processed fastest. Click here for a calendar of drives
- At Home: If you can't make it to a drive, order a home kit here (free for ethnic minorities). Make sure to note that it's for Michelle to expedite the process!
- 1+ Hours: Volunteer at a drive and help people register - email savemichelle@gmail.com
- 3-4 Hours: Help set up a drive in your community (church, temple, school, workplace, etc) - email savemichelle@gmail.com
Comments
I've signed up for my kit, and I distributed an e-mail to friends urging them to do the same. I don't have much access to Asian demos, but I'm pulling in as much of the crowd I know as possible. The feedback so far has been great. We're all pulling for Michelle.