Vinay Chakravarthy, pictured here with his wife, Rashmi, is 28 years old and has Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He was diagnosed in November of 2006 and after chemotherapy failed, was informed he is in need of a bone marrow transplant. The donor - that could be you - pretty much has to be South Asian as well, as ethnicity largely defines compatibility (with marrow donors, that is). But first, you need to register as a potential donor, and that's quite effortless, and painless. Find out more at the website of SAMAR, the South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters.
This is a message from his parents, passed on to us by SAJAer Seshu Badrinath, who is Vinay's cousin:
Vinay is the world to us - he is warm, funny, and loving. We have watched him grow from a little baby, to a young boy playing sports, to a fine young man determined to be a doctor, to a man marrying the girl of his dreams. Please help our son to have a chance to live - to be with his wife, with us, and with his friends.
Ethnicity is the key factor and there is a severe shortage of South Asians (people from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) on the National Registry.
Please visit http://www.helpvinay.org to see how you can help.
More coverage at Sepia Mutiny and at UberDesi, as well as Seshu's Tiffinbox.
