Marc's Story
Marc is a child who loves to laugh, play, and explore the world around him. But his world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with leukemia -- a form of blood cancer that attacks the very cells meant to protect him.
Marc's mother is from the Dominican Republic, and his father is German with Polish and Silesian roots. This rich, beautiful mix of cultures is part of what makes Marc who he is. But it also makes finding a matching stem cell donor extraordinarily difficult.
Stem cell matches are determined by genetic markers called HLA types, which are inherited from our parents. Because these markers vary greatly between ethnic groups, patients with mixed heritage have a dramatically smaller chance of finding a match in existing donor registries. Most registries are still dominated by donors of European descent, leaving people with Caribbean, Latin American, or mixed backgrounds severely underrepresented.
Marc urgently needs someone whose genetic profile matches his. That someone could be you, a friend, a colleague, or a stranger across the world who takes five minutes to register. Every new registration brings Marc -- and thousands of patients like him -- one step closer to a second chance at life.