Marrow Donor Sought for Leukemia Victim
Blood tests to find a bone marrow donor for a 38-year-old Tarzana attorney suffering from a deadly form of leukemia will be given Monday at the West Valley Jewish Community Center from 6 to 9 p.m., organizers of an effort to help the man said.
The chances of finding a donor for Marc Smith are about one in 15,000, said Susan Rafkin, spokeswoman for Life-Savers Foundation of America, which is helping to sponsor the donor drive.
Smith’s leukemia has gone into remission since it was diagnosed in February, but a marrow donor must be found by the middle of this month if he is to survive, Rafkin said.
A group called “Friends of Marc Smith” will begin offering blood tests at Monday’s blood drive, and results of the tests will be sent to the National Marrow Donor Program’s computerized files to be checked against possible matches, Rafkin said.
Those whose tissue type is found to match that of the recipient will be asked to volunteer for a half-hour procedure in which a small amount of marrow is extracted through a needle from the person’s hip bone, Rafkin said.
The donated marrow is replenished within seven to 10 days, she said.
Marrow transplant recipients have a 70% long-term survival rate, Rafkin said.
The West Valley Jewish Center is at 22634 Vanowen St. in Canoga Park.
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