中文版

Ma Lan was happy with her life. She is 37, has a 5 year-old bright and beautiful daughter, works in a big pharmaceutical company in Chicago, and has a loving husband who has just landed an almost perfect job. Many would say Lan has a good life. Yet, fate suddenly changed his mood for Lan. She got leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow, where the body's blood cells are manufactured. The disease leads to the production of numerous immature white blood cells instead of healthy mature ones, bring down the immune system and leave the victim prey to infection.

The cause for such abnormality is due to a rare rearrangement of Lan’s chromosomes - Philadelphia chromosome or Ph - inside one of her bone marrow cells. Because of Ph, doctors say that Lan’s only hope of cure is bone marrow transplant (or more specifically, Peripherial Blood Stem Cell – PBSC transplant), as soon as possible. A race with time starts: Lan and her family and supporters are searching for the only person who can save her: someone with exactly the same bone marrow type. SOSs have been dispatched around the world by e-mail and a Ma Lan Web page has been set up as an operation headquarter.

A well-matched donor is important to the success of bone marrow transplant. The search for a donor begins with a blood sample, and a test for Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) – proteins on the surface of white blood cells – is used to match patients and donors. Because HLA is a genetic trait that is inherited, if there is someone out there who can save Lan, he or she is likely to be Chinese. The odds of finding a non-Chinese with matching bone marrow are remote. So far, Lan is not lucky.

Should the ideal donor be identified, PBSC donation will take place at an apheresis center. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream, donors receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim for five days before the collection. The donor’s blood is then removed through a sterile needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood is returned to the donor. There are little side effects for donor, and in general there is no need for hospital stay for donors.

In the meantime, the recipient goes through intensive chemo- and radiation therapy to destroy the entire bone marrow -- cancerous cells and healthy ones alike. The donated PBSC is injected into a vein. From there, it finds its way into the bone. It then begins to regenerate, taking one year to fully develop. At least that is the hope. But even if a perfect match is deemed to be found, there is still the risk of failure with graft-vs-host disease – where the bone marrow attacks the patient's body tissue if the match is not perfect.

Lan was diagnosed to have Leukemia in early April, when she suddenly had a severe case of swollen legs. Her weak condition prevented her husband from taking the new job, which is located in Florida. Her month-long hospitalization and the following frequent visits to hospitals for chemotherapy further prevented her husband from finding another nearby job. Lan will be out of job soon due to her disability. She is in dire need of helps, most essential a matching donor. (by Bibo Li)

(Wei, Lan's husband, has just found a permanent job, and he wants to thank all the friends offering him helps. ------- web master)

How to help Lan ? 

Q: Does my blood type matter as a donor?
A: NO

Q: How do I know if the result turns out a match? Where to test ?
A: If you are tested as a registered donor at http://www.marrow.org, Ma Lan's doctor will see your results within the database; If you are tested as a non-registered donor ( you choose to donate to Ma Lan only) at http://bonemarrowtest.com, you may need to compare Ma Lan's type with your result. Or you can send the result to us, we can forward it to Ma Lan's doctor. Another lab which does not require national registration is New England Red Cross HLA (Dedham, Massachusetts, 800-462-9400 ext 2148). This MA lab charges $70 for cheek-swab testing kits, half price of bonemarrowtest.com.
 

Q: Where to find local test center?
A: The location of the centers can be found at http://www.marrow.org/cgi-bin/NETWORK/map.pl?ctr_typ=DC

Q: Is it true that it's free for Asians to get tested ?
A: Yes, but only free for testing on site. They may charge you if you order testing-kits to test yourself at home.
 
Q: Can you cover my cost for the test if they charge for mail order?
A: We have an agreement with New England Red Cross HLA Lab. All the typing tests at this center will be paid by our donation fund (See details)

Q: What's the test procedure, is it painful or time consuming?
A:  It usually takes about 5 minutes or longer. No blood sample is needed, a cheek swab will be used to get your sample. You can either do the test at donation centers, or do the test at home using the testing kit ordered from the center.
 
Q: If my bone marrow is a match, what's the next step?
A: A detailed procedure of transplantation can be found at http://www.marrow.org/DONOR/steps_of_donation.html . According to Ma Lan's doctor, the two-arm PBSC can be used for her case.