Huge Turnout for Jack Chin Bone Marrow Donor Drive

It took hardly any time at all for April Scott and others to organize and spread the word about , and it took even less time to register 218 people.

“I’m pretty humbled,” said Jim Chin, Jack’s fraternal twin brother, of the turnout Friday.

Jack Chin, 23, is a graduate of Monta Vista High School, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July. The treatment he was receiving wasn’t working and he now needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. No family members, including Jim, are a match for Jack so he must find a match elsewhere.

"I feel like I let him down a little bit," Jim said of not being a match.

Friday’s event was manned in part by volunteers with Monta Vista’s Octagon club, a service club, and run by Asian American Donor Program with Jim Chin graciously giving thanks to everyone who registered and providing updates to former classmates and teachers who stopped by.

Scott said the drive was held between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to capture the foot traffic of parents attending a school basketball game on Friday. But it was more than just parents who came to the registration. A steady stream flowed from the start, said Sonia Kalwit, a 9th grade Octagon member who was handing out registration forms.

“I keep having to go get more forms,” she said.

“It’s a reminder that we’re really part of a community,” Jim said. “I’m honored and proud to be part of this community.”

As Jack receives treatments or is ordered by doctors to stay home to avoid infections, the time can pass slowly and he can feel pretty alone, Jim said.

“This is pretty concrete proof that’s not the case,” he said.

Lei Gong, already a registered donor, graduated from Monta Vista with Jim and Jack and dropped by to pick up information for his parents who couldn’t attend the drive.

It can take between eight and 10 weeks to process the swabs, said Ruby Law, recruitment director with AADP. And though only one match is needed for Jack, there are still other patients out there waiting for matches also, she said.

Free swab kits are available through mail here: http://join.bethematch.org/jack.

See more about Chin on the Facebook page, Save Jack From Leukemia at http://www.facebook.com/savejacktoday or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jackchintheboss.