Lebanese and Arab Americans Needed as Bone Marrow Donors
To find out if you’re eligible to donate bone marrow, all that is needed is a cheek swab.The story of Samuel Stephens is spreading across the country in the hopes that more people of Arab, specifically Lebanese, descent will consider donating bone marrow to help people like Sam.
According to his sister-in-law, Joan Walker, Sam is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant and needs help from people of his ethnic community. When it comes to bone marrow, a person’s ethnic background is an important indicator in finding a good match because some ethnic groups have more complex tissue types than others. Currently, about 75% of bone marrow donors are of European descent, making the pool much smaller for people like Sam who are of Arab descent.
Sam’s family comes from Zahle, Lebanon. He is a retired firefighter and investigator living in Mobile, Alabama, who has devoted his life to his family and service to his community. Sam has a condition called myelodysplastic syndromes (also known as MDS), which prevents bone marrow from producing new red blood cells.
Additionally, Sam was recently diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. It is rare for these two conditions to occur simultaneously, but Sam’s career exposed him to many toxic chemicals that could cause these to happen together.
Sam has started chemotherapy for his lymphoma. Once it’s complete, the doctors will attempt to tackle the MDS by first destroying his bone marrow, then introducing the donor bone marrow into his system. If all goes well, the donor bone marrow will grow and rebuild his bone marrow and immune system. Until he gets a donor match, Sam is going through frequent blood transfusions to keep going.
Sam is receiving treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. Here is a link to the patient-donor stories page, which contains a link on how to become a donor.
Volunteers can also contact Joan Walker directly at tesoljoan@gmail.com.
There is a tremendous need for donors from all areas of the world. Whether it helps Sam or another person in need, becoming a bone marrow donor is good for the Arab American community.
Please share this story with fellow Lebanese and other Arab Americans and encourage anyone who is able and willing to donate.
Click here to learn more about what it means to be a donor and how to help save a life.
Compiled by Arab America