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5.23.2013

Nina needs a bone marrow match



I recently heard from some friends about Nina Louie, a wife and mother who is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. She has two months to find a donor.

As I've said her many times before, there's a severe shortage of minority donors in the National Registry, and her chances of finding a match will be much more likely from someone of Asian descent. Could you be the match that saves Nina's life? Here's some more information about her situation:

Nina means everything to the people who know her. She is married to the love of her life, and their two year old son, Donovan, utterly adores his mama. Nina has a smile that lights up a room and a heart as big as Texas, where she grew up. Her family and friends love her immensely and can't wait for her to find a match. Let’s help Nina find a bone marrow donor so that she can get better and stop spending so much time in the hospital!

Nina was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in September of 2012. She endured 7 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy at UCLA to treat the disease, but after only two months of remission, the lymphoma recurred in her brain. Nina is currently undergoing continued chemotherapy to control the disease, but the aggressiveness of the disease requires an urgent stem cell transplant. Because of her Asian heritage, finding a match has been very challenging. We, who love her more than anything, are asking you to please join the bone marrow registry by either getting typed with a home typing kit, or by getting typed in person at a local drive in LA or SF, especially if you are of Asian heritage. The process to find out if you are a match is very simple! Just order a kit, swab your cheek, and send the swab back in.

With just a few minutes of your time, you can find out if you are eligible in saving not just Nina but anyone suffering from blood cancers or other related diseases. Please label the kit “VINIYA” in the promo code section to help expedite the typing. Thank you for helping to save Nina!
And here's what you can do to help:
HOW YOU CAN HELP

Register as a bone marrow donor and join the national Be the Match Registry!
Joining the registry only takes 10 minutes and a cheek swab.
With just 10 minutes, you could help save Nina or one of the other 10,000 patients searching for a match.
All you need to do is order a home kit or go to an in-person drive.

There'll be one drive this week in honor of Nina:
Biltmore Hotel
2151 Laurelwood Road
Santa Clara, CA 95054
Friday, May 24
4:30pm-7:30pm

And a drive at Stanford next week:
291 Campus Drive
Right by Clark Center & Mudd Chemistry Building
Tuesday, May 28
12pm-4pm
This is literally a matter of life or death. If you haven't already done so, please consider registering to become a bone marrow donor. Signing up is easy and painless. Even if you're not Nina's match, you could save someone's life. For further information and to find other drives near you, visit SAVE NINA.