Service Opportunity of the Week: Help Jasmina
This story was passed on through the Teach For America website, but it touched my heart.
Five-year-old Jasmina was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia. She has undergone chemotherapy; however she needs a bone marrow transplant to survive.
Some Quick Details:
- Jasmina is adopted, so she does not have any family members who can donate.
-It will be particularly different to find a perfect match for her because she is also African-American - not only do African-Americans have more diverse HLA (human leukocyte antigen) types, but they are severally underrepresented in the bone marrow registry.
There will be a donor drive this Saturday, March 7th at P.S. 41, 116 W. 11th from 10 AM-2 PM (in NYC). The test only takes a few minutes, and only requires a cheek swab. If you are ever a match for someone, even if it's not Jasmina, you will be contacted and can decide at that point whether you would like to go through with the donation.
You can check out more information about the truth and common misconceptions about donating bone marrow at this website.
There will be a donor drive this Saturday, March 7th at P.S. 41, 116 W. 11th from 10 AM-2 PM (in NYC). The test only takes a few minutes, and only requires a cheek swab. If you are ever a match for someone, even if it's not Jasmina, you will be contacted and can decide at that point whether you would like to go through with the donation.
You can check out more information about the truth and common misconceptions about donating bone marrow at this website.
