助人，就是助己

朋友的女兒Serena，是傳說中的別家的孩子。她名校畢業事業有成，聰慧孝順溫良恭儉。Serena感情穩定臨近婚期，卻在五月下旬，她相戀多年的未婚夫Andrew，突發白血病住進了醫院，他們工作生活在西海岸，二家父母遠在東岸，心急如焚焦慮萬分，卻礙於疫情束手無策無從相助。

二個孩子在千裏之外，依靠著他們的同事和朋友，仰仗著那些熟識的，認識的，以及從未謀麵的，甚至完全陌生的人們，生病的得到了救治，傷心的得到了關心和安慰。最最難能可貴的，是在短短幾周時間內，Andrew很幸運地找到了匹配的骨髓捐贈，病勢得以有效控製。

美國長大的Serena，一直是積極的獻血者和和骨髓捐贈的推崇者，她說當她十年前去注冊加入捐贈骨髓的時候，怎麽也不會想到自己心愛的未婚夫會受益此舉。

Andrew是幸運的，但是並不是每個亞裔病人都能夠及時找到匹配，華人的骨髓捐贈人數少庫存小。Serena央求她的母親，想辦法在華人的媒體和社區, 轉發她在臉書上的呼籲。

Serena和Andrew，還有愛他們的親朋好友，我們在一起，呼籲廣大的華人朋友，積極參加到捐獻骨髓的行列。為了兄弟姐妹，為了父老鄉親，為了同胞手足。

給普天下的所有的被愛，多一份生命的機會；讓普天下的所有的愛，多一份希望的奉獻。

 

下麵是Serena寫的 - 

Andrew has Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia. 

I never thought I’d write that sentence. Cancer is one of those universally “bad” things that you know happens, but never really seems real. It happens in movies, or to nameless, faceless people, distant older family members, friends of friends. Never to you. Never to your loved ones. 

Even now, it seems surreal that my healthy, happy and strong fiance has messed up bone marrow. 

I was hysterical when I found out. I’ve never had a panic attack before but I think I had several in the span of 12 hours. I didn’t know what to do with myself - my mind raced through the last few months - searching for any signs and clues of this diagnosis I may have missed, blaming myself for not buying the best organic vegetables for dinners, thinking through all the worst case scenarios and weeping at the unfairness of life. He is kind, and patient, and I have never heard him say a mean word about anybody. Even now, when he is alone in the hospital, he is strong and humorous. He gives me strength and comfort when I talk to him. Not vice versa. He is a much better person than I am. A future without him is unacceptable and I will lift mountains and move oceans to ensure that we have forever together. 

We are lucky. Leukemia has made a lot of advances in technology, and he is young and strong. He is currently at UCSF, and we will transfer him to MSK, where he will receive the best care from the best doctors. We have wonderful family and friends who have all gone above and beyond to support Andrew and me. We have no children or house or responsibilities so we can all our energy on his health. I remind myself that it could be worse.

Everyone has been asking how they can help and support during this time. And to be honest, there’s not much we can do - except sign up to be a bone marrow donor on Be The Match. It is likely that Andrew will need a transplant and the current directory is 70% caucasian - which will make it more difficult for him to find a match. 

-------------------- 

Signing up to be a bone marrow donor sounds daunting and scary. I remember signing up for Be The Match during a Bone Marrow Drive at NYU. It was super simple - just a cheek swab that you can trade for a handful for snacks. But I remember being scared, and as much as I wanted to help people, guiltily hoping that, even if I’m in the database, no one would ever need me to actually donate. You are not obligated to donate even if you are a match, but if someone’s life were in my hands - I don’t think I could say no. 

I hemmed and hawed but ultimately decided to sign up because I reasoned: this could happen to me or my family, and if it did, then I would want others to step up. I thought I would sign up for good karma, to protect me and my loved ones.

Obviously, life doesn’t work out that way. Who knew that years down the line, Andrew would need to rely on this database - a directory of strangers - to potentially save his life? I hope and pray that you will never ever need to use this, but in a way it gives me comfort - I made my deposit ten years ago, and now I am here to withdraw for Andrew. 

With COVID-19, we cannot host large scale bone marrow drives, and will need to rely on mail-in kits. Time is of the essence, so PLEASE register with the National Marrow 

Donor Program today: 

http://join.bethematch.org/swabforandrew

Asian Americans have the best chances of being a match - but even if you are not -- sign up anyways - in solidarity with us - and encourage your friends, co-workers, and larger community to sign up. And then - tell us! Tell us so we can thank you. Thank you for thinking of us - for taking the time to help us - for going above and beyond what you need to - for not ignoring when you can just as easily move on with your healthy and happy lives.

If you are scared -- it’s okay! I was too, BUT (I have now become somewhat of an expert on blood and bone marrow) I can vouch that bone marrow donation is actually painless and fast. So…. please do it. You could save a life. You could save OUR lives.

Thank you for reading --

[石假裝]

看得很感動。相信助人就是助己。我也增經想去登錄骨髓，但是對身體條件要求特別高，結果沒成。
問好蘇蘇。

[認真錯位]

幾年前注冊了，希望有機會能幫助自己同胞！