In our recent post, Sending Get Well Wishes To Amit Gupta of Photojojo, we provided several ways the internet community could send get-well messages to our friend Amit Gupta who is undergoing treatment for Acute Leukemia in a Connecticut cancer hospital.
Today, Amit has posted on his blog a short message on what he needs specifically and how the community can help:
I have a couple more months of chemo to go, then the next step is a bone marrow transplant. As Jay and Tony describe below, minorities are severely underrepresented in the bone marrow pool, and I need help.
A few ways to help:
1. If you’re South Asian, get a free test by mail. You rub your cheeks with a cotton swab and mail it back. It’s easy.
2. If you’re in NYC, you can go to this event my friends are putting on.
3. If you know any South Asians (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, or Sri Lanka), please point ‘em to the links above. Thank you.
Please take the time to help by being tested as a potential bone marrow transplant donor, attending the New York City event Brown Bones Benefit Party and/or spreading his message far and wide.
The Brown Bones Benefit Party happens on October 14, 2011 from 9:30 PM on at New York City co-working venue, New Work City.
We are gathering all who can commit to becoming a donor for a party. Come in costume (it’s October!), fill out some paperwork, get a painless cheek swab, snap a pic in the photobooth, and party with us!
Because the mysteries of DNA matching encourage participants of subcontinental geographic ancestry, please bring as many of your South Asian friends as you can – though we hope all friends will join us and register! We will have spirits, music, and registration kits galore.
image via Amit Gupta and Friends of Amit
