For Janet Liang and for all our children, be one of #170in7

Janet Liang, a vibrant 25 year old UCLA graduate and a leukemia patient who spent years championing leukemia awareness and Asian American bone marrow registration, passed away last week. In Janet’s memory, this site is partnering with a network of other prominent Asian American sites to host 170 in 7: A Bone Marrow Cyberdrive in Memory of Janet Liang.

Twelve years ago this month, years before I had children, I registered to be a bone marrow donor at an Asian American community festival in Los Angeles. After seeing plea after plea over the years from young hapas in desperate need of a match, I knew that I had to sign up, because if I was ever in their shoes, I too would be dependent on the kindness of others like me. In the intervening years, I became the father of two amazing young multiracial, multiethnic Asian American girls (and we even banked our first-born's cord blood), those pleas from young Asian Americans and multiracial people have kept coming, and I continue to check my email for the message that some stranger who looks like me or my daughters needs my help. I keep checking because I know that one day, it could be me or my girls who need help. I took that small step 12 years ago—now, in Janet's memory, and for all our children, it's your turn.

About

Leukemia is a type of blood cancer and the most common cancer to affect children and young teens. Treatment to save a leukemia patient’s life often requires a bone marrow transplant from a “perfect match” donor – a donor whose blood matches a recipient’s blood for 10 separate genetic markers.

Unfortunately, Asian American and other non-White leukemia patients are much less likely to find a “perfect match” donor than White leukemia patients. This is because Asian Americans and other minorities are significantly underrepresented in Be The Match, the national bone marrow registry used to search for and match potential bone marrow donors with recipients.

Janet made it her mission to register Asian American bone marrow donors, and thanks in part to her efforts, at least 18 bone marrow matches were made to recipients nationwide. However, last week, Janet passed away without finding a perfect match for herself. Today, many other Asian American leukemia patients are still waiting to find their perfect match, like 2-year-old Jeremy who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. To celebrate Janet’s life and her legacy, we want to register 170 new potential bone marrow donors in Janet’s name in just 7 days.

Be one of the 170 in 7:

Registration is free for the donor, convenient and secure. Here’s how to be one of the 170 in 7:

1. Click on the link: http://join.bethematch.org/TeamJanet. Fill out the forms to request a free, do-it-yourself cheek swab kit.
2. Tweet about it using #170in7 to be counted!  Click the button to send a Tweet to your followers: If you don’t have a Twitter account, send an email to jenn [at] reappropriate [dot] co to be counted!

And that’s it! Less than ten minutes of your time can help you save a life!

Donor FAQ

In about one month, a cheek swab kit will be sent to you in the mail, along with instructions and a pre-paid return envelope. Follow the instructions to swab your cheeks and return the kit. If you are matched (only 1 in 540 registered donors are ever matched), you will then be contacted and asked if you would like to donate your bone marrow. Registering is not a commitment that you must donate; it is only to help match recipients with potential donors.

Most donors are never matched. But if you are matched and if you do choose to donate your bone marrow, that donation is likely to save a young person’s life.

Other Ways to Help Out: Donate to AADP and/or to the Liang family

Donor registration is free for the donor because AADP and other non-profit organizations cover the costs of donor registration through charitable donations. If you are unable to register as a bone marrow donor, please donate to AADP to help fund registration costs for other donors, or to the Liang family (PayPal account using helpingjanet@gmail.com as the recipient, or checks payable to “Janet Liang” sent to PO box 1526, Pleasanton CA 94566).

Other Ways to Help Out: Spread the Word

If you are already registered, please help spread the word about the 170 in 7 bone marrow cyberdrive through Twitter and Facebook. If you would like to join your site to this partnership or if you would like more information about the 170 in 7 bone marrow cyberdrive, please go here.

Partnership

170 in 7 is a partnership between the following: 8Asians, AARisings, Angry Asian Man, Asia Pacific Arts, Asian American Donor Program (AADP), ChannelAPA, Jeff Yang (columnist, Wall Street Journal Online), Reappropriate, Rice Daddies, Schema Magazine, and a special partnership with Team Janet and Jeremy Needs You.

To add your site to the list, please go here.

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About the Drive

170 in 7 will be running from September 17, 2012 to September 24, 2012. Our goal is to register 170 new potential bone marrow donors in 7 days in memory of Janet Liang.

To Partner

We would love to add more partners to this week-long bone marrow donor cyberdrive. To join, please contact Jenn for more information.

To Spread the Word

Please Tweet about the campaign using the hashtag #170in7. The following buttons and banners are available for use with this campaign: 150 px, 168px, 200 px, 500 px.