About Kethan

Ten-year-old Kethan was first diagnosed with leukemia (ALL) in 2006 at the age of four. He beat it twice but now it’s back for a third time. His doctors say his best hope for survival is a bone marrow transplant. The problem is finding a donor match. Kethan is of South Asian descent and Asian donors only make up seven percent of the bone marrow donor database.

Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the database increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.

Since no match has been found, Kethan’s doctors are having to move forward with an alternative treatment because of no match. Unfortunately, there are thousands of stories similar to Kethan’s. Please register as a bone marrow donor and help improve the statistics for finding a bone marrow match.

So, what happens if you are a match? Once you are registered, you are in the database until your 61st birthday and could be matched at any time. Please go to www.getswabbed.org to understand more about this process and what it entails.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Progress Report [July 19]

Last Sunday, July 15th the Dallas/Fort Worth Hindu Temple conducted a drive where they added 75 individuals to the bone marrow registry! To top it off, they will be holding drives every Sunday for the next 3 months. Thank you, D/FW Hindu Temple for your outstanding work. A special thank you to Mahalakshmi Sivakumar for taking charge and to Mr.Chinni and Mr. Sriram Raju for their support. We truly are making progress and should keep this momentum going. Together we can build the registry!
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, July 16, 2012

Save the Date: Austin, TX


BECOME A LIFESAVER!
BONE MARROW DONOR DRIVE                                           
Sunday, July 29, 2012
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Ronald McDonald House
1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
(next to Dell Children’s Medical Center)
Posted by at No comments:

Food for Thought


FACT: Blood cancers affect people of all ages, races, ethnicity, nationalities, and religions. The odds of finding a compatible bone marrow donor (for anyone) in the database have been likened to finding a needle in a haystack. Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. 

FACT: Ethnic and racial minorities (Asian, Hispanic, African-American, Native American, Pacific Islands) are severely underrepresented in the U.S.'s National Marrow Donor Program, making their odds of finding a perfect match devastatingly low. YOU CAN IMPROVE THE ODDS for children like Kethan and so many others desperate to find a life-saving compatible donor.

ACT: Kethan's family URGES you to get registered as a bone marrow donor! One day, someone in your own family or circle of friends may need a match and not find one in the donor database. Please share with everyone you know how important it is to BROADEN and DIVERSIFY the bone marrow donor registry. It benefits each and every one of us. Let’s all do our part and “get swabbed”!

Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Houston, we have a DRIVE!!! For Kethan!

Sunday July 22,
11am to 4pm.
At Udipi Cafe on Hwy 6, Sugar Land.

3551 Highway 6 S, Sugar Land, TX

Be there. Bring friends and family and get swabbed.
Volunteer. We need you to help Kethan win this battle.

If you are not in Houston, spread the word regardless. It will make its way to folks in Houston. Be The Match is partnering with us.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Attention Everyone in Dallas/FW Area


Here are the details for a drive this Sunday!

Date: July 15th 2012 
Time: 11:00AM - 02:00PM
Place: DFW Hindu Temple
          1605 N. Britain Road, Irving, TX 75061.
Posted by at No comments:

Progress Report [July 12]

Last Saturday, July 7th, Global Organization for Divinity with the help of the Hanuman Temple in Frisco were able to register 79 new donors!  Thank you to all who helped at the drive and donated. A special thanks to the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center for their support. We are on the right path to find the match for Kethan!
Posted by at No comments:

Kethan: News of the Day [July 12]

A Message from Madhuri Kumar:
My son Anmol and I visited with Kethan yesterday. He is doing great. Doing just what the doctor ordered- eating and exercising to get stronger for the Transplant procedure. Each day brings him closer to being ready to receive the donor Bone Marrow. 

Team Kethan, time is not on our side. Let's pick up the pace in our efforts. Get swabbed and get your friends and family swabbed. 

Saving a life gives one a joy of the greatest achievement - nothing is better!
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)