Janet Liang, an extraordinary young woman whose fight against leukemia inspired a nationwide bone marrow registry movement, has died. She was 25.
Last week, she received a bone marrow transplant after a three-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They called it her "second birthday."
But this morning, I received the sad news that Janet passed away. Here's the announcement on the Helping Janet Facebook page:
To all of Janet's loving supporters,Janet turned her personal life-and-death struggle with leukemia into a nationwide movement for bone marrow registry in our community, creating not only awareness, but inspiring action. Team Janet is responsible for registering tens of thousands of potential bone marrow donors.
It is with a sad and heavy heart that we announce the passing of Janet Liang.
Janet has served as an inspiration to all those who knew her. Her big heart and big smile was something that we all cherish
ed. And although she never fulfilled her dream of being a teacher, she has taught us all one very important lesson: love. Despite battling leukemia for 3 years, she has always found it within her to make her situation more than about herself. Her campaign to raise awareness and advocate for bone marrow donors was for the love of her fellow human. She has certainly taught all of us to love one another, and live each day as if it were our last. After bravely fighting cancer for three years, she has finally found her peace.
We ask that you provide her family with privacy and respect during this difficult time.
Thank you to all of Janet's supporters. Your outpouring of love and support has always been a constant source of strength for her. Please help to honor her legacy by continuing the fight for leukemia awareness in her memory.
To learn more about Janet Liang and her brave fight against leukemia, go visit the Helping Janet website. But more importantly, honor her extraordinary life by registering to become a bone marrow donor. You can follow the handy links here.