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| With Elaine & Chris at Hmong MidSummer Night 07.20.2019 |
Back in 2005, I walked into the cafeteria at work and saw a group of people gathering for an event. Being curious, I walked over. A person was there with Be The Match. He went over a need for bone marrow donation, how it can save a person who has blood cancer/disease, and what I could do about it. I was sold - I got swabbed, and I was entered into a registry.
A registry where any doctor can go into and check to see if their patient who has leukemia, lymphoma or any blood cancers has a match. A match that can cure them from their disease.
Earlier this year, scrolling through social media, I stumbled upon a story of a mom who was documenting her journey. Her journey of twin baby girls born; already so loved. But, one of the babies suffered from Shwachman Diamond Syndrome. She wrote and pleaded for any one to register with Be The Match - to match up with her baby, to save her child, so her new little bundle of love can come home. My heart was instantly touched by the mother's plea. I reached out to her and shared her story with my family/friends. Still, I felt this deep tug in my heart to do more.
You can read the story here (please copy and paste): https://www.facebook.com/susie.l.vang
Soon after, I saw that vendors were needed for Hmong MidSummer Night, and this tugging became a fire. I reached out to Be The Match, and soon enough, Elaine (Sacramento Blood Source rep) contacted me. I contacted the mother of the twin girls to give an update, and sadly she gave me an update as well. Yensu never made it home. She had passed the week before. This fueled my fire even more.
Bone marrow donation - now more so, stem cell donation is as easy as opening your mouth, rubbing a cotton swab over your cheek, and mailing in the specimen. It's even easier when you're at a drive!!
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timohty 4:12 NIV
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
I hosted a drive with the Hmong MidSummer Night event on July 20, 2019. I got a lot of stares, some interested parties, and two mothers came by to thank us for being there. One of the mothers has a sick baby, who may need a donor soon. Her (Caucasian) and her husband (Hmong) were not a match for their baby. We added four more people to our 30 million strong registry (total for the night was 5 - one was Caucasian).
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| The real heros. |
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NIV
Yes, 30 million people are registered with Be The Match. Unfortunately, Asians are the least represented. With only a 30% chance of a sick patient matching their own family member, bone marrow/stem cells are matched by ethnicity. Meaning, since I am Hmong, the person I will save is Hmong. My marrow/cells will NOT match any other ethnicity. Truly "hmoob pab hmoob".
Recently, I've seen a lot of GoFundMe accounts of Hmong people, suffering from blood diseases, asking for money to assist them as they try to battle their illness. The diseases are real, and they affect all of us, whether we think it does or doesn't.
So, please .. if this speaks to you, please sign up here (please copy and paste):
https://join.bethematch.org/s/landing?language=en_US&gclid=CjwKCAjw4NrpBRBsEiwAUcLcDJC74ct7ug1_rUgic0N6DGbxt6WTfsJ5_zPwToeR-hXXyNAWsBqt4hoCXR0QAvD_BwE&ref=marrow17&utm_campaign=google_paid&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content=sitelink_join_the_registry
Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 NIV
Any questions .. let me know and I can answer with what I've learned. I stay idle, waiting to see if I will ever get that call.
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