Family’s tough search for marrow donor highlights mixed Asian and white health challenges
An 18-year-old college student from Utah needs a bone marrow transplant donor, but her mixed Japanese and white ethnicity makes finding one challenging, prompting her family to seek public help.
Key points:
- Weeks after Kaiya Endo started her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University, she was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood condition where the immune system attacks the bone marrow.
- Despite treatment options like a bone marrow transplant, finding a suitable donor is challenging due to her mixed Japanese and white ethnicity.
The details:
- Endo’s condition has rendered her nearly homebound and severely immunocompromised. She receives bi-weekly blood transfusions to manage her condition.
- However, her mixed background limits her donor matching possibilities. Cindy Phippen, from Be The Match, which manages the largest and most diverse bone marrow worldwide registry, explained that “the more unique your genetic makeup, there are just fewer people with that same genetic makeup.”
- According to Endo’s mother, Allison Jones, they are searching for 18- to 40-year-old people of mixed Asian and Caucasian descent donors.
- Jones encourages more individuals to sign up through the Be The Match website for the worldwide registry, emphasizing the potential to save lives beyond her daughter’s. Individuals may also text TeamKaiyaUT to 61474.
- Despite the challenges, Endo maintains a positive outlook and looks forward to going back to college and doing outdoor activities. “This condition, if treated, isn’t fatal… I know I’ll get through it.” Endo told 2KUTV. “It just kind of sucks and I just have to wait.”
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