At just 9 years old, J'son has undergone 10 surgeries, including brain surgery, and receives monthly blood transfusions at the hospital. He's been fighting sickle cell anemia-and the bouts of severe pain and fatigue caused by this life-threatening blood disorder-since he was born.
J'son needs a marrow transplant for a chance at a cure, but sadly his twin sister, Ja'Kerria, is not a match. In fact, most patients who need a transplant do not have a match in their family. They depend on the Be The Match Registry® to find a matching donor.
J'son's African American heritage makes his search for a match even more challenging. Patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity, but African American patients have the lowest chances of finding a matching donor. That's why more African American registry members are needed now.
"Please join; you could help save someone," says Shalonda, J'son's mom. "It might not be J'son, but you could be the cure for someone else."