Are you Surendra’s miracle match? Order your swab kit now and find out if you are his hero! 

Surendra, who goes by Buddy, is a 49-year-old husband and the father of two girls ages 25 and 23, and has had a career as a truck driver for more than 20 years. In June this year, Surendra went to his doctor with a fever and chills that didn’t have any explanation – and received the shocking news that he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He is being treated by the stem cell and marrow transplant team at the University of Miami and Cleveland Clinic.

To defeat AML and recover his health, Surendra needs a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) or bone marrow transplant from a donor who shares his same tissue type. But 53% of patients of Asian heritage do not have a matching donor in the registry.

That’s where you come in! You could be his miracle match without even knowing it. All it takes is a swab of your cheek to find out if you could donate stem cells for him or another patient in need. Surendra's best chance of a match is with someone who shares his genetic heritage: he is Indo-Guyanese. Guyana has a large population whose ancestors came from India, South Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

If you are of South Asian, Indian, Guyanese, or Indo-Caribbean ancestry, please join the registry today.

Our goal is to help Surendra beat this diagnosis and get his life back to normal. Being there for his wife Amrita and their two daughters means everything to him. Let’s make sure this beautiful family has an incredible future together.

More about Surendra

Surendra's wife Amrita has been by his side throughout this entire journey. He has a personal community service cause: he helps provide services for less fortunate children in his birth country, Guyana.  In his free time, Surendra spends time with his family, goes to the gym, watches sports and movies, and goes to the beach. 

Details about joining the registry:

• Join the registry! Click on the blue "Join Registry" button. 
  • Donors in general good health, between 18 and 35 years old may join the registry. Donors over the age of 35 can also join, but we ask that you to please donate $60 to offset the lab fees – Click here to learn why.  
  • Eighty percent of donors requested by transplant centers are 18 to 35 years old for medical reasons – Click here to learn why Age Matters.
  • Donors can remain in the registry until their 61st birthday – Click here to learn why the registry has an Age Limit.
  • Certain medical conditions may mean you are not able to join the registry or donate – Click here to check the Conditions List. If you're not sure, a health history questionnaire is part of the registration process.
• Sponsor a swab kit. Click on the orange "Give to My Circle" button. Lab processing of every kit costs $60. Your contribution will help add new donors to the registry, who may be a match for Surendra or another patient. 

Spread the word. Use the social media links to the right to share Surendra's story in your Facebook and Twitter account. The more people who order a swab kit and join the registry, the faster he will find a donor.