JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Bone marrow drive

By Ami Eden · May 28, 2010

The Jewish Star reports:

An unprecedented effort is under way in the Five Towns, in Riverdale, N.Y., and in Brookline, Mass., to find bone marrow matches for four young people fighting leukemia.

In Woodmere, Zach Englander, a 20- year-old Yeshiva University student, was diagnosed six weeks ago with the form of cancer that attacks the blood. Over Pesach, Matt Fenster, a father of four in Riverdale, was found to have an acute version of the disease. ...

Efforts are also under way to help a pregnant young mother in North Woodmere, and Sarah, a 9-year-old in Brookline.

In each community, friends and family of the patients have organized bone marrow testing drives and fundraising efforts to pay for the tests. Bone marrow comprises the stem cells found inside large bones that produce the components of blood -- red, white and platelet cells. Transplants are an effective means of treatment. ...

So far, ‘Match 4 Matt,’ the Riverdale-based effort that organized the twin bone marrow drives at the Salute to Israel Parade and at the Concert for Israel in Central Park, has tested over 2500 people and raised close to $100,000 to pay for the tests. ...

Testing will take place at Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv (1 Cedarlawn Avenue, Lawrence) and at HAFTR High School (635 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst) on Sunday, May 30th between 9-5. Eligible donors must be between the ages of 18-60 and in general good health. If you have been tested after 2001, you do not need to be retested.