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It was ironic that Jon Kang learned he'd need to fight for his life just when he was trying to save a stranger's life.
Kang, 18, was a student at Lynbrook High School when he tried to donate blood at his high school's blood drive in April 2005. But his contribution didn't get very far. Nurses discovered that Kang had leukemia and would need a bone marrow transplant.
Members of the Lynbrook badminton team are rallying around their former teammate to raise awareness of the need for more bone marrow donors. The players, along with the Red Cross Club, are holding a bone marrow drive from 1-5 p.m. on April 1 at the Lynbrook cafeteria.
A successful marrow transplant requires that a patient and a donor have matching genetic tissue types. For this reason, drive organizers are appealing in particular to the Asian community. Kang's older brother was a match for him, making him one of the lucky few. About 70 percent of leukemia patients are not able to find a match in their siblings.
Donors who want to be part of the National Marrow Donor Program registry must be between 18 and 60 years old and in good health.
Lynbrook High School is at 1280 Johnson Ave., San Jose. For more information, contact Cynthia Carlson at the National Marrow Donor Program at 510.495.4021.
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