Bone Marrow Drive for San Mateo Boy To Be Held at PJCC

A bone marrow transplant drive will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday at the for an 8-year-old San Mateo boy.

Amaey Shah, an engaging, fun‐loving kid, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005 and has been in treatment since. He loves science, legos, cooking and his friends and family.

Amaey recently was diagnosed with an additional aggressive form of leukemia, and is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Potential donors from the Indian and South Asian communities are especially needed, and could be instrumental in helping Amaey find a match.

"A patient is most likely to find a match from within his or her own ethnic group. While Caucasian patients have an estimated 93 percent likelihood of having a donor on the Be The Match registry who is willing and able to help save a life, Asian patients (including people of Indian descent like Amaey) have an estimated likelihood of 73 percent," Volunteer Karen Alexander said in a statment.

However, donors of all nationalities are welcome and encouraged to participate. Registration involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells, all of which takes about 10 minutes. To join the registry, you must be between the ages of 18‐60 and meet certain health guidelines.