I’m not great at articulating the things I want to say, but I hope this time the message comes out clear. Often times we really do take our lives for granted and we imagine that those terrible things that happen on TV, only happen on TV. It’s not until you’re affected that you start taking action and really evaluating your life. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but nobody said it would be this hard.

I have a friend named Jack Chin. I met him back in high school (Monta Vista) in speech and debate. Jack did a dramatic interpretation of a soldier story, and he did it really well. In the next chapter of his life, he went on to fking West Point, which is ridiculously bad ass, then later continued his education at UCLA.

Last summer, Jack was experiencing some leg pains and went to the hospital. he was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia Syndrome. He has undergone a few rounds of chemo with no success. His remaining option: bone marrow transplant.

This next paragraph comes from my good friend Thomas, who is also a good friend of both me and Jack. Thomas is helping to spread the word and he writes:

“the chances of him finding a match are almost zero. Even his genetic twin brother, who has already donated during other phases of his treatment, is not a match. In the words of his brother Jim: “Jack needs a bone marrow transplant. If going by total strangers in the registry, the average statistic for a match is 1 in 20,000; so the equivalent of Luke Skywalker blowing up the muthafuggin Death Star. Fortunately, he is a boss. Unfortunately, he needs some upgraded proton torpedoes, and by proton torpedoes, I mean bone marrow.” Despite our optimism, he and everyone around him knows the truth: if we cannot find a match soon, he will die. His family and friends are currently mobilizing every resource they have to find a donor, including Reddit, the TC registry, and crowd-sourcing on Facebook. His family is some of the best people I know, and writing this email on their behalf is the least I can do for them.”

I don’t know what it’s like to lose a friend like this, and I’m not ready to find out what it’s like. I’m asking you, my fellow readers for help. Here’s what you can do:

1) Take five minutes and apply to be a donor at the National Marrow Donor Registry (link below). Read the FAQs, answer a short questionnaire, fill some some registry forms, and that’s it. If you agree to be a donor, they will send you a cheek swab kit to obtain a sample of your cells. Alternatively, since we are waging a losing battle against time, you can find a local bone marrow drive to register immediately. I will even find one for you if you ask. Afterwards, if you are a match for someone in need, you will be contacted by a medical professional. As for Jack, he will have a greater chance of matching someone with Asian descent, so I encourage all those in the category to apply.

http://marrow.org/Home.aspx

2) Spread the word about Jack and others like him. Help me save a life, even if you are not a matching donor.

If you have any questions, shoot me a message on facebook. If I cannot help answer any questions, I will forward it to Thomas or Jim (Jim is Jack’s twin brother). You can find my facebook at www.facebook.com/KajeYomama .

Thanks,
<3Kaje

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