“I am grateful to the dozens of local AAPI Chapter leaders, members and volunteers across the nation who have initiated and organized Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Registration across the nation, joining hands with the national AAPI in our efforts to create awareness and enrolling more youth and adults to be part of this noble initiative,” said Dr. Satheesh Kathula, an Oncologist based in Dayton, OH and the President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI,) the largest ethnic organization in the United States.
The Stem Cell/Bone Marrow initiative has been a major focus under the leadership of Dr. Kathula-led AAPI’s Executive Committee. AAPI has partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to increase the Indian donor pool. One can join the NMDP Registry if one is between the ages of 18-40, a resident of the United States, and doesn't have major medical illnesses.
Giving the background and the urgent need for this new initiative, Dr. Sashi Kuppala, Chairman of the AAPI Stem Cell Drive, said, “Thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma need blood stem cell transplant to survive. Matching the stem cell or bone marrow donors to patients is based on Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing. HLA are Proteins or markers found on most cells in our body and they are inherited from our biological parents and largely depend on ethnicity.”
Stressing the importance of registering for the Bone Marrow donation, Dr. Suni Kaza, Chair of AAPI BOT said, “You could be a patient's only match, only hope for a cure. When you register, you're committing to donating to any patient in the world. But because a decision not to donate can be life-threatening to the patient, please think seriously about your commitment before joining the registry. And, be aware that there are absolutely no complications to the donor from this donation procedure.”
According to Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, President-Elect of AAPI, “In general, 70% of parents needing a stem cell transplant don't have a fully matched donor in their family and approximately 12,000 patients per year depend on transplant from an unrelated donor to survive. These numbers are even dire for cancer patients of Indian ethnicity as the donor pool of Indian ethnicity is very limited.”
Regarding the process to be part of this noble effort, Dr. Meher Medavaram, Vice President of AAPI said, “Registration is easy. You just need to log in with the QR code provided and register with your details at the NMDP website. They will send you a cheek swab kit which you need to return to them. They will perform the HLA typing of your DNA and store the information in their database.”
Dr. Raj Bhayani, Secretary of AAPI said, “If you're a match to a patient, who needs stem cells, you'll be asked to provide blood samples for further testing. Blood work is typically done locally. Travel will likely be required for donation. It costs you nothing to donate. NMDP pays for all donation-related expenses. The donation process takes an average of 20-30 hours spread over 4-6 weeks.”
“It is very difficult to find a matched stem cell donor for South Asians should they need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant and this drive will help increase the number of potential donors.” Dr. Shirish Patel, Treasurer of AAPI said, “Bone Marrow donation helps save lives.”
Dr. Sashi Kuppala said he and the AAPI leadership will be happy to educate about the donation process and answer any questions. “We strongly believe that it’s a very noble and much-needed initiative by AAPI to help save lives. While we thank those leading the efforts in your own state/towns, I urge others to take the lead in your towns and help AAPI in our efforts to save lives. Thank you and we truly appreciate your support in helping the patients who are in need of Bone Marrow.”
For more details about organizing a Bone Marrow Donation Drive in your city/town/region, please contact [email protected]. For more details on AAPI, visit: www.aapiusa.org
