On his Facebook page Hope4Adam, Adam Krief has announced that a donor has been found! Seven donors, to be exact. As he begins conditioning in preparation for transplant, Adam expressed his gratitude for the tremendous support offered by so many people. "This morning I started my first dose of conditioning chemo and am on my way to transplant. I could not have gotten to this point if not for the endless love, prayer, and support from all you! You've all filled me with hope and have given me so much strength," he wrote on Facebook.
Our heartfelt wishes go out to Adam and his entire family as he prepares for transplant.
Adam Krief, married and the father of three young children, learned he had primary myelofibrosis in July 2016. His best prospect for survival was determined to be a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant. Although he is now undergoing chemotherapy, doctors say this treatment can only buy him some time.
The need to find Adam’s perfect match is urgent. None of his family members nor the 28 million people in the international marrow registry have turned out to be a match, so Gift of Life Marrow Registry along with his family and friends have launched an international search. Many of these recruitment drives are being held in Southern California where Adam, 31, lives with his wife and children, and in South Florida where other members of his family are residents.
Adam’s match could be of Moroccan or Sephardic ancestry
Adam’s parents are originally from Casablanca, Morocco, and since matching factors are inherited, his best prospect for a match is among people with Moroccan or Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Due to the strong historical connections between Morocco and Spain, there is also some possibility his donor could be found in the Hispanic community.
Joining the marrow registry is done with a simple cheek swab, and is free for everyone between 18 and 45. To order a swab kit, click here. You can also visit a Gift of Life donor drive at any location. To see a calendar of upcoming drives, click here.
For more information about the search for Adam’s donor, please visit hope4adam.com.
Financial contributions to fund the processing of the thousands of swab kits Gift of Life is collecting are most welcome. Laboratory processing of each kit costs $60 – so $120 processes two kits, and $600 will process ten kits. The genetic information from the lab goes into the registry and can be matched to Adam or other patients in need of a transplant. To help fund swab kit processing, click here.
Note: Only U.S. citizens 18 and older may join the Gift of Life Marrow Registry. If you are an international visitor, please contact the bone marrow registry in your home country for a swab kit. Your test results will go into the worldwide registry, and if you’re a match for Adam, you will be found!
A comprehensive list of international registries can be found at the World Marrow Donor Association. To open a new window with this list, click here.