Community Corner

Monta Vista Grad Needs a Bone Marrow Match

Jack Chin's life depends on finding a match; his chances increase with Chinese donors.

Jack Chin, a Monta Vista High School graduate, needs a bone marrow transplant, and a drive to find a match will be held at the Cupertino Library on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Asian American Donor Program is hosting the drive to help Chin, 23, who found out last summer he was stricken with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to a Facebook page set up on his behalf.

The bone marrow of his family, even his twin brother, does not match.

Find out what's happening in Cupertinowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Jack has so much going against him. For one, his blood is literally rebelling against him. Chemotherapy and the various pills that he takes have wrecked his appetite and his ability to enjoy life fully,” said Jim Chin, Jack’s twin brother, in a statement.

“It hasn't dampened his willingness or ability to fight the disease, even when the treatment has made simple acts, like eating and drinking, into intensely nauseating and painful tasks. There are good days and there are bad days, but Jack works hard to make sure there are more good days than bad—not just for himself, but for us as a family.”

Find out what's happening in Cupertinowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Finding a match with an unrelated person is about a one in 20,000, but Jack Chin’s chance go up if that person is of similar ethnicity, which is Chinese.

After graduating from Monta Vista, Chin attended University of California-Los Angeles, then West Point, which was a longtime dream, then went back to UCLA.

During the summer extreme leg pain took him to the emergency room and to the diagnosis of cancer. Now, his life depends on finding a bone marrow match.

Registering to be a bone marrow donor is as easy as a free cheek swab. Go to the Cupertino Library Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10800 Torre Ave between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., or join.bethematch.org/jack.

For more information on Jack Chin, visit www.facebook.com/savejacktoday. Follow Chin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/jackchintheboss.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here