One of my dear friend’s son was diagnosed with cancer, a few days before his 8th birthday in 2006.  I had run the Nike Women’s Marathon in October 2007, in honour of Arya, the determined and adorable boy, I have known. My page from 2007 with  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, when I did the fund raising, can be found here.  Arya was responding well and in remission.

Unfortunately, in the beginning of the 2009, Arya was taken unwell again. The only option left for him is a bone marrow transplant. Finding a match is hard BUT possible. Currently 3 in 10 patients that need a transplant find a match. Arya’s  school and community in Upper Saddle River are organizing a bone marrow drive for Arya this week. There is a need to do a similar drive on the West Coast. I know that it is a lot of work to organize this effort but I will help drive this in the Bay Area. What is a few hours of time and effort if it can give a second chance to life for Arya and some other kids that need a transplant?

The testing process is simple and painless - a quick self-administered cheek swab is all that is needed to identify a potential donor. I am learning more details and figuring out the logistics before I partner with DKMS, the world’s largest Bone Marrow Donor Centre, to hold the event in the Silicon Valley, in the next weeks. Yes, we can! Yes, we will! We are with you Arya!