Update: Jeremy has found a match! He received his transplant at the end of November. Everyone here in the OtherHalf community wishes him a speedy recovery!
Jeremy Needs You to Be His Match
At two years old, Jeremy Kong, a cute little guy always wearing a big smile on his face is like every little kid - he loves running, jumping, dancing, singing - and even becoming a superhero like "Batman" one day so that he can help save the world.
Before he can pursue all his favourite activities and dreams, however, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in June 2012 in his home town in San Francisco.
Despite his very young age, Jeremy has endured innumerable needle pokes, rounds and rounds of treatments that brought side effects as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, stomach upset, skin irritations, hair loss ... all with remarkable strength, resilience and exceptional bravery.
For Jeremy, a bone marrow transplant offers him the best chance for long-term remission and survival.
Jeremy now needs a matched donor to help save his life, and put back the big smile on his little face.
Update: We're pleased to announce that Lu Lu found a match and had her transplant in November 2012! We're all sending her best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Lu Lu's Urgent Need for a Matched Donor
26-year-old Lu Lu, a financial analyst on Bay Street, is originally from the Northern part of China. She was just diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in June 2012 at Princess Margaret Hospital and is now desperately searching for an unrelated matched donor for a stem cell transplant. Prior to her diagnosis, Lu Lu was in perfect health. Because she is an only child, her only hope for survival is to find an unrelated matched stem cell donor for transplant. With the likelihood of finding a match far greater within one’s own ethnic group, more new donors from Mainland China are needed in OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network.
We want to congratulate Judy on finding a match and wish her a speedy recovery.
JUDY'S STORY BELOW:
Judy Lam is a 22 year old patient who was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1999. She was only 9 years old when she started chemotherapy. Unfortunately, her leukemia has returned recently, and chemotherapy no longer works. Her last resort is to have a stem cell transplant.
OtherHalf will be having a drive at the Aberdeen Center in Vancouver on January 21, 2012. It will be at the CCM Center in Crystal Mall. Please help Judy and come out to a drive to register as a donor. Or go to http://www.onematch.ca and register online.
Judy's Testimonial
I am Judy Lam. I am 22 years old. Before October, I was considered recovered from leukemia or commonly known as cancer of the blood. I was diagnosed with leukemia when I was nine. My family was still living in Hong Kong at the time. At first, they thought that I was just having bouts of flu. But it became apparent that it was not normal as the flu came more and more frequently. After a series of blood tests, I was diagnosed to have leukemia. I still remembered that both the medical personnel and my family were very tense. The clinic called my mom to have me brought to the Queen Mary Hospital right away. There, the doctor further drew another big tube of blood. Not knowing what was going on, I cried non-stop and tried to resist. That was my first difficult night in the hospital. The next day, the doctor explained the diagnosis to my family. The moment I heard that I had leukemia, I was very scared. The feeling was so real, so intense and so difficult to cope. Many questions came to my mind: Is it very serious? Am I going to die? What is death? What would happen to me when I die? Is death just like a lamp going out, as someone has suggested? Or is there a paradise and a hell? Where am I heading, to paradise or hell? The more I thought about it, the more scared I became.
The process of recuperating was a long one. Yet even after recuperating, the fear of death never went away. I am thankful that I had the opportunity of attending a Christian primary school and I got to know the Lord Jesus Christ. I knew where I was heading after death and my fear was lifted.
In February, 2003, my family emigrated to Vancouver. The move brought a mixture of emotions. I felt nervous, excited, lonely, and lost all at the same time. I was invited to the worships and fellowships at the Burnaby Pacific Grace Church. Brothers and sisters there showed their concern for me. Yet when I thought I could settle down, my leukemia reoccurred.
Learning that, I cried my heart out embracing my mom. I complained to God: why do I have to go through such difficult treatments again? I calmed down, knowing that God must have a reason for this, though I did not know what it was. I only knew that when Jesus walked with me, things would be more bearable. So that was my first recurrence of leukemia. In mid 2010, I became a volunteer in the Cancer Support Group in CCM. I was the youngest of the volunteers. We went visiting other cancer patients weekly and showed our concern for them. Sometimes we shared with them our experiences as fellow patients. I never thought that my suffering could turn to blessings for others. Each time when I visit and encourage someone to face cancer in a positive way, I am filled with joy which money cannot buy.
In November 2011, my leukemia reoccurred again. I was unprepared for that. As much as I would like to serve those who are in need, would I have the life and opportunity to do so?
