Can You Help Lydia?

All the pre-holiday busyness has kept me from blogging recently, but I do have something important I'd like to share before I attempt to catch up.


Five year old Lydia (above) was diagnosed with a deadly form of leukemia and her family is desperately trying to find a bone marrow match for her. The problem for Lydia is that because she was adopted from China her family has run into difficulty finding a donor (or at least one willing to help - read on). Lydia's story has touched my heart because she's the same age and from the same province as my Miyah. If any of us adoptive parents were in the same situation we would hope and pray that the adoption and Chinese American community would rally to help find a match for our precious child. It's SO easy to help...a cheek swab is all that's needed to determine if you (if you're Chinese) or your child is a match.

Here's a note from her mother:

"My daughter Lydia was adopted from Guangdong Province China on July
5, 2004. In August 2008, she was diagnosed with AML, a very pernicious and deadly form of leukemia. With the help of her Chinese-born doctor, we were able to locate her birthparents and some of her siblings in China that her birthfamily kept. We know she had at least two biological sisters older than she (born somewhere between 1993 and 2002) who were also abandoned. The birthparents have refused to assist with her bone marrow transplant, even though two of her already found bio siblings were a match. We are now looking for these other potential siblings to see if they were adopted and might also be a match. Lydia is part of the
Hakka ethnic group, and so a match from someone other than a relative is unlikely because of her unique, almost bi-racial typing. Lydia has classic Hakka features: "Brooke Shields" eyebrows, and rather full lips and a round face. I will have my husband post photos of Lydia and her birth family. Thank you for any assistance you may be able to lend.
Blessings,
Monica "

And a little excerpt from her website (click to go to her website):
"For those of you who have offered help and who have offered to test yourself and your children, please contact me at kensingtonlawyer@gmail.com. I can send you a kit that you can do a cheek swab, and which you will then mail directly back to the lab that has Lydia's HLA testing results. If a group of Chinese people wish to donate (meaning more than 10 or so people), the National Bone Marrow program will actually host your drive, totally funded through the bone marrow program. Please contact me in either event, as I can contact the local chapter of the National Bone Marrow Program, and get things moving. "

We're in the process of organizing a marrow drive in my area. I'll share that information when all the details have been arranged.

Please keep Lydia, her family, and birthfamily in your prayers!