May 19, 2009 12:00 am US/Pacific
Donor Search Difficult For E. Bay Leukemia Patient
PLEASANTON (CBS 5) ―
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Nick Glasgow, 28, of Pleasanton was diagnosed with leukemia two months ago. His family and friends have launched an online campaign to find a marrow donor.
CBS
Nick Glasgow of Pleasanton is in a race for his life. His only hope is a bone marrow transplant. Fast.
The 28-year old thought he had strep throat, but two months ago, he was diagnosed with something much worse: Leukemia.
Finding a donor, it turns out, is next to impossible, considering Nick's diverse ethnic background.
"When the doctor found out that he was one-fourth Asian – one-fourth Japanese - he said, 'Quite frankly there is a zero percent chance of finding a donor,'" said Nick's mother, Carole Wiegand.
According to the Asian-American Donor Program, based in Alameda, there are 7.4 million registered donors in the U.S. Only 532,000 are of Asian descent. That's 7.2 percent of the total. Only 219,000 donors are of multiple races.
"All ethnic minorities are severely underrepresented in the national donor program registry," said Carol Gillespie of the Asian-American Donor Program.
Nick's family and friends are determined to beat the odds. They have launched an urgent social networking campaign on Facebook and Twitter. Blogs about Nick's predicament have reached thousands of people.
Jennifer Blackadder, Nick's Cousin, said through tears that she is grateful for the support.
"I've had people I don't even know I've never heard of calling me and emailing me because they want to help him. We just … really need him here," she said.
The message: register now. It's as simple as swabbing your own cheek and filling out a form. Or go to a bone marrow drive in your community.
"It only takes one person. but if you're that person and you're sitting at home on the couch, then you'll never be able to save someone," said Gillespie.
"I just want to say, 'thank you so much everybody,'" said Nick's mother. "You have no idea how much it means to Nick and I and the rest of the family because we are so devastated and we want Nick to live and enjoy his life."
The Bay Area - with its rich mix of ethnicities - has an opportunity here: to save Nick Glasgow and all the Nick Glasgows who need help.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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