Help us find a matching donor for Alana!

As a previous survivor of both breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Alana gets frequent blood work. This summer, her blood counts started dropping, and a bone marrow biopsy in August led to the diagnosis of early-stage Myelodysplastic Disorder (MDS), a form of blood cancer. Due to a rare genetic condition, Alana has a high cancer risk, so her best option is a blood stem cell or marrow transplant from a matching donor.   

Because stem cell compatibility follows ancestry, for transplants to work, the donor and recipient must have matching immune factors called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA).

Since HLA variations are population specific, Alana’s best chance of a match is with those of Jewish, Russian, or German ancestry.

We invite you to order a swab kit and be tested to learn if you are a match for Alana, or another patient in need.  Your personal data remains confidential.

There are three ways you can help Alana:

1. If you are between 18 and 35 years old and in general good health, click above on the blue Join Registry button to order a swab kit to be sent to your home today. Those 36+ are asked to please fund their kit processing. Join the registry, and you could be our next lifesaving donor!  
2. Each swab kit costs $60 in laboratory fees for testing, so if you click on the Give to Circle button, you can sponsor someone’s kit or give the amount of your choice. Every dollar matters.
3. Share this circle with others. Click on the gray Share button to post on Facebook or Twitter (now called X) or copy the link to share on other sites.

To the right, you’ll also see a button called “Subscribe.” Click there to get updates! Every time a match or a transplant sponsored by this circle happens, you’ll get a short email to let you know about our success.

More about Alana

Alana is a 38-year-old resident of Los Angeles, Calif., and has an extended family of parents, her 97-year-old grandmother, her brother, aunts, uncles and cousins, nieces, and her friends – all of whom have pitched in as her support system.

Alana has her own business as an independent tutor for children from kindergarten through 12th grade. “I love working with children with mild to moderate special needs,” said Alana. “It makes me think outside the box and find moment where they feel confident and empowered to do their best.”

She is also a loving cat owner, and her favorite activities are going on adventures with family and friends, attending Broadway shows, reading, dancing, jigsaw puzzles, and spending time at the beach. You may also find her at live music events. 

“I view life as being like a jigsaw puzzle,” said Alana. “Some pieces are made to stay for life and create meaningful middle areas. Some pieces are temporary, but in life there are no borders – so that makes it all beautiful, messy, and connected.”