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T-Cell donor, recipient meet together for the first time
Two residents connect through Asian-American health program
By Gretchen Knaup
Through an international bone marrow registry, a match was found for 24 year-old lymphoma sufferer, Rick Wang, in his own backyard. The donor and recipient met for the first time after the recipient had a year of complications.
Both donor and recipient shed tears and exchanged hugs when they met May 31. Wang and his family came to meet his bone marrow donor, Jimmy Kang, for the first time. The president of the Asian-American Donor Program, Jonathan Leong, introduced the two. "I'd like you to meet the other part of you," he said to Wang and Kang. Wang's three sisters and father were there, along with his mother, who flew in from Taiwan for the event.
A match was found for Wang after a worldwide search. But his match wasn't from somewhere across the globe; it ended up coming from within his very own neighborhood. Fellow Sunnyvale resident, Jimmy Kang, who had lived just miles away from Wang his entire life, tested as a match.
Besides the improbability of a donor and recipient being found in such geographical proximity, there was the general improbability of a match being found at all. According to Leong, for Asian-Americans seeking a bone marrow transplant, "it's a one in 30,000 chance. If you are someone's match in a minority group, you are probably their only hope," he said.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes and can be fatal as it spreads to other parts of the body. Wang was diagnosed with lymphoma two years ago at the age of 24, when he noticed a small bump on his neck. After repeated chemotherapy treatments, the tumor shrunk significantly and the results were promising. However, one week later Wang was told the cancer had relapsed at the same site and that it was even more aggressive than before. Wang's only hope was a bone marrow transfer.
"It was indeed the most depressing and hopeless day of my life," Wang said. "I felt I could no longer dream and plan about my future because I wasn't sure if there was going to be one." But a match was found for Wang in just six months, thanks to Jimmy Kang and the Asian-American Donor Program, an Oakland based nonprofit organization.
Three years ago, Kang volunteered to enter the Asian-American registry at a blood drive in the Marina shopping center in Cupertino. Once entered in the registry, one is eligible for 61 years.
"I was very surprised to get the call, but there was no hesitation in saying yes," Kang said. Kang added the procedure is not painful, contrary to popular belief it only takes about 45 minutes and recovery lasts five days. "The anesthetic was the worst part!" Kang said.
When doctors found a spot on Wang's lung, they realized the operation had to be started right away. According to doctors, they had only two days to make the transplant to save Wang's life. Fortunately, Kang was in the area. The operation took place on May 9, 2000. Dr. Tammy Taylor performed it at Stanford University. Taylor said recently that she has performed more than 2,500 transplants, but that she had never been involved in the meeting of the donor and recipient before.
Wang's father donated two statues in honor of Stanford Medical Center and Jimmy Kang. He presented the dragon-like figures at the meeting.
"The dragon represents the year of the dragon, and the rebirth of his will to live," said the father of his son, then addressed Kang by saying, "I'm very grateful to you. It's because of you my son can be reborn."
For more information, call the Asian American Donor Program at 800.59.DONOR, the National Bone Marrow Association at 800.627.7692, or the Leukemia Lymphoma Society at 408.271.2873
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
