Santa Clara Asking For Rare Type With Blood Drive For Young Girl

CUPERTINO, CA -- The Stanford Blood Drive at the Cupertino Library set for Dec. 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will have more than its traditional meaning when mobile crews pull up to the parking lot.

Santa Clara's efforts could answer Florida's pleas for help.

Beyond the ongoing needs for the blood bank during the holidays, South Asian donors are particularly needed by a special girl.

The blood bank announces an urgent, yet unique situation in which it has been asked by a sister
blood center in Florida to help support a two-year old girl with an extremely rare blood type. She
has a form of cancer that has required several rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant.
She now needs blood that is compatible with a rare antigen called anti-Inb (Indian B) and –E.
Blood compatible with the Inb antigen is extraordinarily difficult to find and is primarily found in
donors of South-Central Asian descent. So far, only two donors have been located nationwide.

“Since the South Bay, including Cupertino, has a large population of people of South-Central
Asian descent, we are trying to find compatible donors by hosting a blood drive. We will type all
donors for this particular antigen, and hopefully, help out our sister blood center in Florida for
this particular child," Stanford Blood Center Account Manager Monica Doleshal said.

Those who donate must be over 17 years old to be eligible. To make an appointment, go to www.sbcdonor.org and enter sponsor code “2445.”

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