Earlier this year, I began by writing an article with the hopes of educating and appealing to our BakitWhy.com community about the importance of becoming a bone marrow donor. Jennifer Juanes, if you recall, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  Because of her mixed ethnic background, she had a slim chance of finding a donor.  However, she was successful at finding a match, and a bone marrow transplant was done for her.

Jennifer is not the only one who has demonstrated a need for a bone marrow donation. The need does not discriminate between age, sex, or ethnic background. One year old (and yes, I did say ONE year old) Jamison Vincent Abrenica has been recently diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, and he too will need a bone marrow donation to prolong his life. Unfortunately, the need does not, and will not, stop there.

Bone marrow donation is simple, and starts with a very easy cheek swab. Once you've done that, you send in the swabs and wait to hear you have been matched with a patient. If that happens, then more testing is determined to see if you are a suitable match for the patient, and if you are, you would  be giving another person the chance to live their life to the fullest.

Jamison has not yet had the opportunity to live his live, and his chances will greatly be reduced if he does not find a match.  You, as a reader may be that match to save his life.  If not his, you may end up being the member of our community who helps to prolong the life of another who needs a bone marrow transplant. It will most certainly make a difference.

Remember, 70% of patients do not find a match within their families. Ethnic minorities as a whole currently have only a 25% chance of finding a donor, 7% if you are Asian, and less than 1% as a Pilipino.

Jamison needs our help. He needs YOUR help.

While there was a match for Jennifer and our last report on her noted that she had been improving, it saddens me to say I recently found out Jennifer passed away on the 19th of May. While she lost her battle with leukemia, I am sure that her family would agree the donation was not done in vain. Because of the gift of life her donor gave to Jennifer, she was able to live longer and able to spend that much more time with her loved ones and those that loved her.

Help give that gift to someone else. That someone else is always going to be someone's son, someone's daughter, someone's mother, father, girlfriend, boyfriend, or other family member or loved one. That someone else may or may not be Jamison. It's also a possibility you may never be called to ask to become a bone marrow donor. But, it would always be better to offer your help and no one need it, than to have someone need your help and you were not there to give it.

Related Links:

• To learn more about Jamison and to find out if a drive is being held near you,   please visit helpjamison.com/
• If you are not near the area, to donate please go to join.marrow.org/swab4hope

• Giving the Gift of Life: A Battle With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
• A "Ray of Hope" to Give the Gift of Life
• Giving the Gift of Life: Jennifer Juanes