Photo: aadp.org
By P.C. Staff
The Asian American Donor Program continues to help save lives through its donor program with the help of Asian American donors. AADP’s goal is to help those suffering with leukemia, lymphoma or any life-threatening blood diseases.
Today, there are 10.5 million registered donors in America, and within that number, there are 735,000 Asian donors.
“Despite the large number of donors, it is far from easy to match donors with patients,” says Ruby Law, recruitment director at AADP. “It is even harder to find a match in a mixed-race situation. If a person is Chinese-Caucasian, then the donor must also be Chinese-Caucasian.”
The process to help saves lives is simple, as donating marrow is not difficult and it’s a process that will help those in need.
According to Dr. Stacy Month, medical director of pediatric hematology and oncology at Kaiser Permanente, “you might be able to save a life — it is important to help each other out as a community.”
Most blood diseases and cancers can be cured with a bone marrow transplant. AADP organizes around 400 drives every year and holds registration as well. Registration takes about five minutes, and donors must be 18-44 years of age and meet certain health guidelines.
