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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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 Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:26 pm Post subject: Looking for B- blood for platelet donations to teenager |
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Here's a message going around Facebook and emails, from a woman named Marie with the Korea Tourism Organization looking for people with B- blood.
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I am writing this note with the hope that anyone living in Korea with a blood type of B rh negative (B-) would be willing to help a 19 year old boy who has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. I went to visit him in the hospital today, and now have specific information about him.
H...is name is YooWoon Jeon and he just graduated from high school in February. He has been sick since last October, but was just diagnosed last week. He will require 5-6 chemotherapy treatments, every three weeks. After each treatment he requires 6 doses of platelet, a part of human blood. The problem is, his blood type (B-), is not at all common in Korea. B+ is quite common, but B- is not. If a B- person gets B+ blood, it can create problems. Platelet has a storage life of only one week, so its not easy to ship it from other countries.
There are 100's of thousands of expats in Korea, teachers, business people, engineers, etc... B- occurs much more reqularly in foreign populations than in Korea. That is why I am reaching out to you! Korea has given me so much, and I often wonder how I can return at least a little bit of it. This is one way. I happen to have B- so I went to the hospital today, and am scheduled to give the platelet on Monday. I will just lie down and while I watch a movie or chill out, my blood will be pumped into a machine that will take out the platelet and put the rest of my blood back into my body. The pain is about the same amount as getting a needle.
YooWoon just graduated from high school, and his dream is to go to Yonsei University. Instead, he is in the Yonsei Severence Hospital. If we can all come together, we can help him get back on his feet and he can get back to studying!
Please ask your friends to pass this info around.
His father is called Jay John in English, his Korean name is Jeon Jeong woo ( 전정우). His father works for the Korean branch of Cray Valley, a chemical company. His English is very good, so you wouldn't have to worry about communication issues.
He can be contacted at:
Jay
010-5048-7678
[email protected]
Yesterday I posted some information about this that I had gotten from a friend of a friend. I don't know how, but somehow that information got twisted around and woman that was sick and that it must be a female donor. This is NOT TRUE. I think something got lost somewhere in translation.
I went to the hospital myself this morning. If you have any additional questions, feel free to call me directly, 010-6801-0731.
Thanks so much for your time and please spread the word.
For your information:
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphocytes of the immune system and presents as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. It is treatable with chemotherapy, and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable, depending on the histology, type, and stage of the disease (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphoma).
Platelet Donation
During a platelet donation, a small portion of your blood (less than one pint at a time), is drawn from your arm and passed through a sophisticated cell-separating machine. The machine collects the platelets and safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to you. After the donation you can resume your normal activities, avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous exercise that day.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/platelet-donation |
That comes from the "Every Expat in Korea" Facebook page.
Last edited by Smee on Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Although it is technically possible for a long-term foreign resident to donate blood (and blood products) in Korea, I think it will be somewhat difficult to do. With that said, O- blood types can donate to all other blood types and I've known several here in Korea, so that might be another avenue. I hope the needed blood is found. |
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southernman
Joined: 15 Jan 2010
Location: On the mainland again
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:35 am Post subject: |
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Cheers for that,
I've e-mailed the address you gave.
I live in the sticks which I explained in my e-mail but if its still doable then no probs. |
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southernman
Joined: 15 Jan 2010
Location: On the mainland again
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:26 am Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
| Although it is technically possible for a long-term foreign resident to donate blood (and blood products) in Korea, I think it will be somewhat difficult to do. With that said, O- blood types can donate to all other blood types and I've known several here in Korea, so that might be another avenue. I hope the needed blood is found. |
Doesn't sound hard at all........ all you need is
1/ to have been here over a year
2/ have a current Alien Registration Card
Go to your nearest Red Cross Blood Donation Centre and say you wish to donate to the person in question at the Hospital he's currently being treated in. His father will give you all the neccesary details
I e-mailed the boys father and he responded to me very quickly.
If anyones thinking about it, please do it, if your Koreans not the best get a Korean friend to go with you to the Red Cross Centre |
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GreenlightmeansGO
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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bump
Not my blood type, but I forwarded it on facebook. |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| southernman wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
| Although it is technically possible for a long-term foreign resident to donate blood (and blood products) in Korea, I think it will be somewhat difficult to do. With that said, O- blood types can donate to all other blood types and I've known several here in Korea, so that might be another avenue. I hope the needed blood is found. |
Doesn't sound hard at all........ all you need is
1/ to have been here over a year
2/ have a current Alien Registration Card
Go to your nearest Red Cross Blood Donation Centre and say you wish to donate to the person in question at the Hospital he's currently being treated in. His father will give you all the neccesary details
I e-mailed the boys father and he responded to me very quickly.
If anyones thinking about it, please do it, if your Koreans not the best get a Korean friend to go with you to the Red Cross Centre |
Well, let's hope things have changed. How things sound and how things actually work in Korea are not necessarily the same. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:58 am Post subject: |
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| So this hospital is in Seoul? |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:03 am Post subject: |
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An update I received via Facebook:
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| There is one development. The hospital says that people with AB- blood can donate platelet. That is the thing that YooWoon needs most right now. It is almost the same as a regular donation but takes longer (about 90 minutes). You can watch movies or read, just relax during the process. AB- cannot be accepted for regular blood. ONLY PLATELET. |
The Facebook group is here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108240229198512&ref=mf |
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Forever
Joined: 12 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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Just bumping this - because the 19 y.o. still needs blood.
http://rokdrop.com/2010/04/07/expats-in-korea-rally-to-help-sick-teenager/
19-year-old Jeon Yoo-woon has had six (6) donors come forward - and another 4 who said they would.
He still needs people to actually come forward and donate please.
Last edited by Forever on Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:23 am; edited 1 time in total |
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valkerie
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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I have been promoting this too, it is a shame I have boring old O blood.
It is possible to donate outside of Seoul but the rules re time spent in certain countries need to be checked. The Facebook group has lots of details.
Please pass the information on to as many as possible. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:09 am Post subject: |
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I'll bump this too.
Many actually have come forward, but as you may know, there are obstacles in place making it harder for expats to donate blood in Korea. Some have been turned away, even though they have the blood they're looking for, whether because of the language barrier or because they haven't met the other requirements. It's unknown if people realized this before reaching out to the expat community, but nonetheless there have been plenty of people here trying to help.
If anybody else is interested or wants to learn more, stay tuned to the Facebook page. |
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valkerie
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Smee,
Yes, the rules are complicated enough without the language barrier. Being British I would not be eligible even with the correct blood type as I spent 5 years there in the periods they are concerned about.
I have been trying to promote this amongst my Korean contacts too. |
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Arthur Dent
Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Location: Kochu whirld
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