Help Jennifer: Be A Match: A Mom Needs YOU!

In September 2009, just a few days before her 41st birthday Jennifer Jones Austin, mother of 2 ages 7 and 12, was unexpectedly stricken with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Doctors have said that, unless Jennifer undergoes a bone marrow transplant within the next few months, her chances of surviving this disease are slim.

During this season of giving, give the gift of LIFE. You can help Jennifer by becoming a registered donor with the Be The Match and getting tested to determine if your bone marrow is compatible. Even if you are not a match for Jennifer you may be able to help another person in need of a life saving transplant.

The test to determine compatibility is as SIMPLE as a Q-tip swab inside the cheek. The donation process is as SIMPLE as giving blood. A surgical procedure is NOT required.

Unfortunately, because African Americans and Hispanics are dramatically underrepresented in the National Bone Marrow Registries, African Americans have less than a 45% chance of finding a match in the current pool of donors. While there are more than 5 Million white bone marrow registrants, there are only about 500,000 registrants of African descent.

To date two drives have been scheduled in New York:

Sunday, December 6, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m
Abyssinian Baptist Church
132 Odell Clarke Place (138th Street-bet. Lenox Ave & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd)
New York, NY
(212) 862-7474

Sunday, December 20, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m
Bethany Baptist Church
460 Marcus Garvey Blvd
Brooklyn, NY,
(718) 455-8400

If you cannot make it to a drive, register as a donor by going online to http://join.marrow.org/JJA1068. You can receive an at-home testing kit at no charge. The "promo code" is JJA1068.

Jennifer is a long time friend of the Chocolate Chip Family. She has been married to her husband, Shawn, for 15 years, and they have two beautiful children: a 12 year old daughter and a 7 year old son. She is an accomplished child advocate and has dedicated herself over the past 20 years to serving the needs and interests of families and children. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and Fordham Law School, and she is a long-time and devoted member of Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn, where her father, the late Rev. William Augustus Jones II, served as pastor for over 40 years.

There are few opportunities, where a simple act can save a person's life. Please don't miss this chance. There but for the grace of God go I. Let's join together to help ensure Jennifer has a long and healthy life in front of her.

Click on this link to view an interview of Jennifer on WNBC that aired on December 12, 2009
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/station/as-seen-on/Jennifer_Jones_Austin_Needs_a_Marrow_Match_New_York.html