Bone marrow drive looks for match

A donor is sought for a patient with a mix of ethnicities

Two bone marrow drives were scheduled this month to find lifesaving matches for two Samoan patients, but one died before a donor could be found.

The Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry at St. Francis Medical Center had hoped to find bone marrow matches for Wayne Tuaolo, 24, of Marin City, Calif., and Dusty Ah Mow, 17, of Oahu.

However, Tuaolo died last Friday, the center learned. A bone marrow drive was held last Saturday at the Waialua Health Fair.

Efforts are focused now on trying to help Ah Mow, the registry said in a news release. The next drive is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday during the Papakolea Community Fair. The fair will be in the community park, 2150 Tantalus Drive.

Roy Yonashiro, the registry's donor recruitment coordinator, said it has been challenging to find a donor for Ah Mow, who is Samoan, Hawaiian, Chinese, German, French, Indian, Irish and Dutch.

Tuaolo was pure Samoan and the Hawaii Registry was assisting the Asian American Donor Program because there are not many Samoans where Tuaolo lived, Yonashiro said.

Only 30 percent of patients are able to find a matched family donor, so unrelated donors are needed, he said, explaining the best unrelated matches are with someone with the same ethnic background.

Donors must be between ages 18 and 60 and in good general health.

To obtain more information or update donor information, call 547-6154 or visit www.stfrancishawaii.org/hawaiibonemarrow.