WASIAN  -  Half White, Half Asian      

Matt Sasaki is 15 years old.  His favorite TV shows are Iron Chef and King of the Hill. 

Through Matt's illness, we have learned:  A patient can have the best doctor in the world.  They can have all of the modern medicines.  And even raise a million dollars.  But sometimes, it may not be enough.  In some cases, the cure must come from ordinary people, like you and me.  People who register as potential bone marrow donors.

Are you a match?                                

For Matt, and other patients like him, a bone marrow transplant could possibly cure them.  However, they are at a disadvantage.  Currently, there is a lack of mixed race and minority persons registered as potential marrow donors.

Matt lives in the Sacramento area.  He has childhood leukemia. His mother is Caucasian, his father is Japanese.  Siblings have a 1 in 4 chance of matching.  However, his older brother does not match, nor does anyone on the National Marrow Donor Registry.

At age 13, Matt was diagnosed with ALL leukemia / lymphoma.  Cancer of the white blood cells.  It's every parent's nightmare.  No one wants their child seriously injured or ill. Eventually, Matt was off treatment, back in school and was doing fine.  Spring 2005, just when we thought the whole thing was behind us, symptoms returned.  His back hurt, and a low grade fever would not go away.