Remember Michelle Maykin of Project Michelle? The 26-year old Cal grad diagnosed with leukemia? Though I haven’t been following or updating on her progress daily, I am happy to report that she did find a donor. In fact, according to Helen at Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches, “[Michelle] has had her double cord blood transplant and passed her 100th day mark and moved back home to SanFran. :)”

Of course, increasing the chance of finding possible cures for future Michelles can only be helped if more people register for the National Marrow Program. In the case of Michelle, Vinay, and other Asian American leukemia patients, the National Marrow Program specifically needs more Asian representation in their registry.

The organizers at Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches have initiated a March campaign to increase the registrant pool of Asians. They’ll completely comp your registration fee, and even if you find this post after March, you can get that fee waived! It’s a $52 fee waiver, but in all seriousness, it’s a potential lifetime of value. (I’m big on life giving life. You should be, too.)

In spirit of March Madness, Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches is starting a small campaign called Marrow March Madness in hope to increase the registrant pool through a new method: online.

Each year thousands of patients are searching for their one life saving match.  They depend on people like you to register as marrow donors and potentially save their life. HLA typing matches depends heavily on ethnic background so your registration will help someone of your own ethnic community.

Here are just a few stories of patients in search, patients with transplant, and patients that passed away.  Hopefully you’ll find them compelling and therefore join in on this worthy cause.  (you can just click on the links below)
http://www.projectmichelle.com
http://www.teamkrissy.com
http://khanhvo85.blogspot.com/
http://www.savejodie.com
http://www.ericamurray.blogspot.com/
http://www.teammatthew.org/

HOW TO REGISTER
1. Click here: http://marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/Join_Now/join_now.html
2. Enter this promo code when asked: CTFHOPE03 (03 as in zero three)
*Entering the code enables you to waive the HLA typing fee of $52 that they normally charge!  Another word, enter it so your registration is FREE.
**Code expires at 11:59pm March 31, 2009
(should you be reading this blog post that date, just change the end of the code to read 04 which stands for April and so forth)
3. Wait for cheek swab kits to come in mail
4. Swab yourself, mail it back.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll only be contacted should you show up as a match.  Otherwise you’ll just remain on the registry in peace until you’re 61, which is when you’ll be automatically removed.

ACTUAL DONATION PROCESS
1. Click here for a clear flow chart: http://asianmarrow.org/donors/howtobeadonor/index.html

If you aren’t able to register in March, just change the end of the code to read “04″ which stands for April and so forth: April – CTFHOPE04, June – CTFHOPE06, August – CTFHOPE08, etc. Updating the registration code to the current month waives that $52 fee!

If you’ve already registered, please help by passing this information along to your friends and family.