Bone Marrow Donor Drive Draws 200 Residents

A donor drive at the Westwood Community Center Sunday drew more than 200 residents who had their cheeks swabbed to see if they are a match for Hillsdale mom Karen Takla-Farag, who requires a bone marrow transplant.

It will take six to eight weeks before it is known if one of the potential donors is a match, Hillsdale Councilman Frank Pizzella told Patch.

Takla-Farag, the mother of a kindergarten student at Meadowbrook School and a parishioner at St. John's, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December and needs the transplant for her treatment.

She was present at Sunday's drive via Skype.

In addition to the potential donors, Sunday's drive raised more than $2,500 for Be The Match, a bone marrow donor registry, Pizzella said. 

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