One of our kindergarten students at Marin Elementary School was recently diagnosed with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma and is in great need of a bone marrow transplant to increase his chances of survival. He currently does not have a match, but we are determined to find him one!
Time is of the essence, and Be the Match (bethematch.org), a national nonprofit organization that tests possible donors and keeps a registry to connect patients with successful matches, is looking for a match for this child. Anyone who has previously joined their registry does not need to register again. Additionally, anyone who has joined other registries like City of Hope, DKMS, Gift of Life, etc., does not need to be retested. Be the Match has access to all of these registries.
Be the Match will be at Marin Elementary School (1001 Santa Fe Ave., Albany) this week:
- Friday, September 20 from 5:30-7:30pm (during the Marin International Potluck)
- Saturday, September 21 from 12:00-3:00pm
Testing is easy and painless! Just a swab on the inside of your cheek!
The best chance of finding a matching donor is with people who are between the ages of 18-44. Be the Match covers the cost of the testing for this age group. The chances of finding a viable match decline with donors who are 45 and older, so they need to charge $100 per person to cover the cost of testing. The family is willing to pay for anyone over 45 who is willing to be tested but cannot cover the cost, as they are desperate for a match. A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help them with this and other costs. To contribute to this account, click here: Savian's Go Fund Me.
Thank you!