One of my friends in Perth (who is also a
well-known blogger) started
a drive this week asking her readers to
register as stem cell donors, specifically targeting those who are ethnically Asian. Although this was spurred to help find a match for
Emily, registering to be a donor can potentially save other lives. In Hong Kong and Australia, people can register to be a stem cell donor by donating blood, and my friend Karen has undergone the process and
blogged about it to show just how simple and easy it is to do it. Emily needs a stem cell donor of Asian descent, however there aren't very many Asians on the international bone marrow registry, probably due to a Chinese taboo on giving blood. Well, I can personally vouch that donating blood is quite safe (provided that you donate through legitimate organisations like the Red Cross) because I used to donate blood regularly with hubby when we were still living in Perth. I must admit that I haven't donated when we first moved overseas - the language was a barrier in Japan, and I hadn't really thought about donating blood since then - but now that I have the information on where to go, I have no excuses. Most of my readers are from USA, Hong Kong and Australia, and I hope that some of you will take the time to register as a stem cell donor, whether you are Chinese or not.
- United States: register and order a donor kit via Be The Match
Please
click here for a list of other countries.
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