I received this email from M., and had to reprint in full:

Become Natasha’s Hero! Time Sensitive: April 24-30 Free Bone Marrow Donor Registration Online.

Natasha Collins is an outstanding 26 year-old Yale medical student who is battling leukemia for the second time, and she needs your help to save her life. At the age of 23, Natasha was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). After two years of treatment, followed by a cord blood transplant, Natasha came to the Yale School of Medicine to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, during her first year as a medical student Natasha was re-diagnosed with leukemia. She braved chemotherapy, and now she needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life. But out of the millions of registered bone marrow donors worldwide, Natasha does not have a match. We are asking you to register because you could be Become Natasha’s Hero.

Please consider registering for the Be the Match Registry. Our online drive for Natasha is April 24-30. You can register for free at www.marrow.org using the code BK041309. By joining the Registry, you give hope to patients everywhere with leukemia, lymphoma and a variety of other diseases. When you register as a bone marrow donor, you join a global movement of more than 12 million donors who stand ready to give someone a future. You may never be called upon to donate, but if you are, you and perhaps only you will have the power to save a life.

A little about Natasha: She grew up in Syracuse, NY, with her mom, dad and younger brother (Anne, Ted and Teddy). Natasha graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and is now a student at the Yale School of Medicine. In addition to being a stellar student, loving daughter, and generous friend, Natasha loves to cook, knit, travel, and eat carrot cake. From her volunteering to her teaching chemistry in Qatar, Natasha has touched many lives. She has a bright future as a doctor and we need your help to make this dream come true.

Natasha is half African American and half Caucasian, making her a molecular minority because her bone marrow is difficult to match. A match for her is likely to also be of mixed heritage. Minority and mixed heritage donors are underrepresented in the Registry and very much needed. That being said, we encourage everyone to sign up to offer hope to all those looking for donors.

Registering is simple and takes as little as five minutes, and our online drive will allow you to register for free. You will be asked to fill out a basic form with your contact information and medical history (which remains protected), and then you will swab the insides of your cheeks with a kit that is mailed to your home. No blood draw is required. Your saliva is all that is needed to register. Five minutes of your time today could mean a lifetime for someone like Natasha.

Thank you,
Natasha, her family, and her friends

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