Yesterday a friend of mine filled me in on the continuing urgency of Jennifer Jones Austin’s situation. Most importantly it alerted me to the fact that she desperately needs our help.
This Park Slope resident, legal advocate, wife and mother has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Her chances of survival are slim unless she undergoes a bone marrow transplant within the next few months.
Members of the Park Slope community are doing everything in their power to find her a match. A bone marrow drive is planned for February 6th at the Berkeley Carroll School, where Austin’s children go to school (more info to come as details are worked out).
“I’m extremely thankful to the people who came to the drive,” Austin told the Daily News recently. “Hopefully we’ll find a match for me, but more importantly we need more African-Americans to register to be marrow donors.”
A bone marrow transplant requires a 100% compatible match. Because none of her siblings were a match, her best chance of finding one is through the Be The Match Marrow Registry. That is why we are asking for YOUR help. Be The Match Registry is in need of registered donors.
A simple cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if YOU could be the one to save Jennifer or one of the other thousands of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.
A Bone Marrow donation isn’t such a big deal either: A donation only requires a blood donation. A surgical procedure is NOT required.
To register to become a possible marrow donor, visit www.bethematch.org or call (888) 638-2870. To learn about upcoming marrow drives for Austin visit www.savejenaustin.com.
Hello OTBKB and readers,
I’m a freelance reporter with Brooklyn Independent Television. On December 16th I covered the bone marrow drive being held at the Bed-Stuy YMCA for Jennifer and a week later I got to interview her. A truly inspiring woman. The segment will air Monday, January 11th at 9pm on BCAT: Time Warner channel 56, Cablevision channel 69, RCN channel 84 and in all five boroughs on Verizon 44. It will post to the BIT website later in the week.
I urge everyone to attend one of the many bone marrow drives being held in the borough for Jennifer and who knows, you might not just help save her life, but that of someone else who needs a match.