Call for Helping Dr. Lin ...

Dear All,

I am a Hematologist/Oncologist in Cartersville, Georgia.  Just last week, one of  the members of our medical community and a close friend was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).  His name is Timothy Lin, MD and is 34 years old.  Tim is a Pulmonary/Critical Care physician who is of Chinese descent, who was married to his wife, Liza, last year.  Just before the discovery of his AML, they made the joyful announcement that they are expectant parents.  Tim is a jovial, easy-going person who is known and respected by the entire medical community in Cartersville.  Tim is an avid sports fan and is an exercise enthusiast.

I am writing this to ask for your help by spreading Tim’s story and by enrolling into the National Bone Marrow Registry.   Tim has currently started intensive chemotherapy.  However, up to 80% of people with AML will also need an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.  For patients with AML, allogeneic bone marrow transplant can be life-saving.

The term allogeneic refers to bone marrow from either a related or unrelated donor.  A search for a suitable donor will be underway through the National Bone Marrow Registry.  HLA proteins on the surface of white blood cells determine the compatibility between donors and recipients, with the ideal situation being 5 of 6 HLA match or 6 of 6 HLA match.  Though people of any ethnicity may be an adequate match, individuals of Chinese ethnicity are the most likely.  Because Asian ethnicities are extremely under-represented in the National Bone Marrow Registry, it will be extremely challenging to a suitable HLA match for Tim.

Please enroll in the National Bone Marrow Registry, even if you are not Asian.  You may be able to help not only Tim, but many other people throughout the country.  Enrollment is easy and only involves taking a swab from the inside of your cheek.  If you enrolled in the past, please update your contact information by calling 1-800-Marrow-2.  Visit www.marrow.org to learn how you can quickly become a part of the registry.  Please encourage your Asian friends and family to become part of the registry as well.

Here is a summary of what you and your contacts can do:

1.  Please join the National Bone Marrow Registry and encourage others around you to do so as well.  Helpful websites include the following:

     www.marrow.org (National Bone Marrow Donor Program)

     aadp.org (Asian American Donor Program)

     www.samarinfo.org (South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters)

     www.asianmarrow.org (Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches)


2.  If you have already joined the registry, update your contact information (by calling 1-800-Marrow-2.)

3.  Contact other Asian religious churches and temples to enlist their help.  Drives can be arranged through the above organizations.  The most efficient way to make an impact would be for these churches and temples to organize a drive through one of the organizations.  Otherwise, people can request a kit and mail it back.

4.  Make financial contributions to the Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (via www.marrow.org or to the other organizations above.  


Thank you for your time.  Please keep Tim and Liza in your thoughts and prayers.


Satyen Mehta, MD