It was a heartfelt assembly, as San Jose resident Chuck Woo met the 15-year-old with blood most cancers whose life he saved.
Woo met Darrian Lu for the primary time Thursday in downtown Los Angeles. Lu, an Alameda teen on the autism spectrum, had been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia for 2 years. Woo was his blood stem cell donor.
“As quickly as I knew I used to be a match, I stated, completely, there’s no query about it. As a guardian, I wished to assist doubtlessly save a life,” stated Woo.
In November 2021, Lu had his life-changing transplant on the Oakland Kids’s Hospital. He stated he was excited and grateful to fulfill Woo for the primary time.
The emotional reunion was made potential by nonprofit Be the Match, which helps sufferers with life-threatening blood cancers discover bone marrow and stem cell donors, rising entry to mobile remedy.
Practically half of the registry’s Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander sufferers at present don’t have an identical blood stem cell donor on the Be The Match registry.
Organizers say eligible donors can assist improve these odds by becoming a member of the free registry, with a well being historical past kind and a cheek swab pattern, by a package despatched to their dwelling. Anybody who meets wholesome pointers is welcome, and extra donors of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, and between the ages of 18 and 35, are most urgently wanted.
As a part of its marketing campaign effort to succeed in extra donors throughout Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Be The Match hosted a particular live-streamed live performance in Little Tokyo with singer-songwriter AJ Rafael, who can also be a blood stem cell donor.
There are upcoming swab drives and donor occasions in L.A. and the Inland Empire. Go to BetheMatch.com for particulars and an inventory of occasions.
