Biracial Lady Struggles To Discover A Bone Marrow Match
Lizzie Tennyson, from Austin, Texas, is in want of a bone marrow transplant however is going through problem as a result of she’s biracial.
In keeping with Be The Match, a non-profit group that conducts analysis to enhance transplant outcomes and supply assist and sources for sufferers, African-People have a 23% likelihood of discovering a match.
However 21-year-old Tennyson has lower than a 14% likelihood of discovering a match as a result of she’s biracial. An excellent donor for Tennyson would even be biracial.
Tennyson, who was lately accepted into her dream faculty, the College of Texas, was recognized with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 13 years outdated. As a substitute of beginning courses this fall, she was pressured to drop out after her most cancers returned for the fifth time, in keeping with KVUE.
“It retains mutating, it retains coming again, and it is on me. It simply sucks,” stated Lizzie. “There’s positively these moments the place I am pondering, ‘Why does this hold taking place to me?'”
In keeping with KCEN-TV, she’s presently present process chemotherapy to fight the most cancers, however Tennyson’s medical doctors say a bone marrow transplant is her solely hope of beating the most cancers for good.
“I’ve been, I assume, blessed to have the ability to have a number of choices for therapy,” stated Tennyson. “However I’m working out of choices, and I don’t know what number of extra possibilities I’m going to get.”
Tennyson’s organic dad is white and her mother is African-American. She was adopted at 12 years outdated.
“I assumed I would by no means get an opportunity to be a mother, and after I bought her and I noticed how valuable this youngster was… I can’t think about shedding that earlier than it is time,” stated her mom, Susan Tennyson. “I am unable to know it. No. There isn’t any me with out her. There isn’t any world with out her. I am unable to, I am unable to go there.”
The Dell Youngsters’s Medical Middle is internet hosting a Donor Registry Drive for her on Friday, November 15.
“We positively need to encourage everybody to return and swab, and even when you’re not biracial, simply come and swab on Friday with us,” stated Brenda Garza, of GenCure and Be The Match.
These of the identical blended race are requested to cease by Dell Youngsters’s Medical Middle at 4900 Mueller Blvd for a fast, 10-second cheek swab.
The drive will happen on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anybody who can’t attend the occasion can see in the event that they might be a match by registering both on-line or by texting “Lizzie” to 61474.
