Bone Marrow Drive Saturday at Saratoga High School to Help Save Leukemia Patient

The Asian American Donor Program and friends and family of South Bay resident Paulina Hsu are coordinating two bone marrow drives this weekend to help her find the life-saving gift.

The first drive is being held 9 a.m.-12 noon today, Saturday, May 18 at Saratoga High School, in the Mandarin Language and Cultural Center Chinese School main office, 20300 Herriman Ave.

The second drive is planned for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, May 19 during a (Sun)Zumba-thon at the Cheryl Burke Dance Studio, 1400 North Shoreline Blvd., in Mountain View.

Shortly after she was diagnosed with leukemia, Hsu relocated to Taiwan, said AADP outreach coordinator Michelle Chan, adding that doctors have advised her she will need a stem cell or bone marrow transplant to survive.

There are no matches within her immediate family, and Hsu is depending on the marrow registries all over the world to find her life-saving donor, Chan added.

Hsu is a zumba instructor at the Cheryl Burke Dance Studio, according to Chan.

"[We hope the community will] take part in finding her a match, so she can continue to do what she loves," Chan said.

Registering as a donor takes less than five minutes and the requirements are simple, according to Chan

• Donors must be between 18-44 years old and in general good health
• Fill out a consent form
• Provide a cheek swab, just like brushing teeth. No blood samples are taken at registration