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Port Restaurant Hosts Persian-American Cancer Event
posted: February 28th, 2010 14:11 pm |
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In Persian culture, cancer is taboo, a curse, a death sentence — which makes getting Persian donations to the bone marrow registry a very difficult task. But an event today at Port Restaurant is trying to change that by educating and signing up more potential donors.
“Unfortunately, most Iranians who need a bone marrow transplant are passing away, unless they have family who are matches,” said Helen Kamali, chief executive officer for the Los Angeles-based Persian American Cancer Institute.
Persians genetically match better with other Persians, but taboos about cancer and a lack of awareness about the process has historically limited the number of donors, she said. Bone marrow transplants, or stem cell transplants, are used to treat diseases including cancer; they work by infusing the patient with donor cells in order to create new, disease-free blood cells.
Partipants at Port were able to eat Persian food and socialize, then talk to experts and give a saliva swab that will go into a national registry. That registry is linked globally, so someone signing up to donate today in Corona del Mar could potentially save the life of someone thousands of miles away, without having to travel, Kamali said.
She added that Persian donors don’t always help Persians — one Iranian donor recently was matched with a 4-year-old non-Persian child.
“It’s important to have as many different kids of matchable material as possible,” said Charles Sadler, a doctor and husband of PACI-founder Hoori Sadler, who founded the organization in 2006 after her treatment for breast cancer.
“There’s been enormous reluctance in the community,” he said.
Hoori Sadler said she hoped it would change, beginning today in Corona del Mar. She added that everyone of all ethnic backgrounds is welcome to stop by to attend. The event will run until 4 p.m.
Port Restaurant is located at 440 Heliotrope Avenue.
In top photo are, from left, Helen Kamali, chief executive officer of PACI; Shelley Baker and Pat Conlee, both of the National Marrow Donor Program; and Hoori Sadler, founder of PACI.
