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Jackie Chan Fights For 8-Year-Old Girl's Life

02/23/2010
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When Jackie Chan heard about an eight-year-old Asian girl diagnosed with leukemia and searching for a life-saving bone marrow match, he had to do something to help. The action star filmed a PSA on location in Beijing last week pleading for the public to help the young San Francisco girl find a match by registering with DKMS (www.dkmsamericas.org) the world's largest bone marrow donor center.

"I recently found out about an 8 year-old girl who has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. I recorded a public service announcement to appeal for your help and now I am asking all my Facebook fans to do what they can. Please help!" said Jackie on his Facebook page.

Two years ago eight-year-old Natalie Nakatani was diagnosed with leukemia. After five difficult rounds of chemotherapy last year, Natalie's leukemia was in remission. Now it's back and, according to her doctors her only chance at survival is having a life-saving bone marrow transplant within the next few weeks. A patient in need of a transplant is most likely to find a compatible donor who is of their same ethnicity and, as happens in 70 percent of cases, Natalie does not match either her parents or her little brother. Nor does she match any of the 13 million marrow donors registered worldwide. Although there are 15.5 million Asian Americans in the U.S, they comprise only 7% (560,000) of the donors on the national Be The Match Registry. Natalie faces particularly tough odds because of her Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese mixed racial heritage. Leukemia is the most common disease children in the U.S. die of but there is something we can do to help. Log on here use code NNC-002 so they'll rush the test for Natalie, and remember to mail it back right away.

- Check out Jackie Chan's PSA here

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