On Saturday August 7, 2004 IANH sponsored a Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive (HLA Type Testing) at the St. John Neumann Church in Merrimack.

This drive was primarily organized to find a match for the seven month old baby Varun Bhaskaran who was diagnosed having a rare genetic immunodeficiency disorder known as Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome (WAS). Deepak Bhaskaran, the father of this baby, helped by several of his colleagues at work (Fidelity Investments) have successfully organized this event. IANH team led by Sudhakar Tadepalli and Murali Kuppa (a new IANH member) volunteered at this event and these two helped spread the word about IANH and its activities to the donors. Staff from South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR) led by Mr. Vikram Singh and two phlebotomists were present to take blood samples form those attended the event. IANH has organized a Bone marrow donor drive at the Spring Festival in 1996.

IANH publicized the event through Email announcements, flyers, communications to NH Islamic Society, and other immigrant groups. WMUR (Channel 9) news broadcast interview with the Bhaskaran family a couple of times, India New England newspaper ran a cover-page story to publicize the event.

About 140 people from the South Asian community gave blood samples to register themselves with NMDP at this event. Majority of the donors were from Fidelity Investments. Towards the end, SAMAR ran out of supplies (blood collecting vials) because the number of donors exceeded the original estimate of about 100.

Only one percent of South Asians are registered with National Marrow Drive Program (NDMP). Minority groups such as South Asians have been exempted from the typical $65 per donor fee to register them to this NMDP database.This event was also intended to increase NDMP registrations to help locate potential donors for those in need of a bone marrow. Depending on the continued interest from the local community, IANH is willing to join hands with other organizers of such events in the future.

For pictures of the event, please follow the link given below: http://ianh.org/PublicService/BoneMarrowDrive_VarunBhaskaran.htm

|