Valerie Sun got a second chance at life when a college student, living thousands of miles away, registered her marrow with the National Marrow Donor Program.  You have the power to save someone like just like Valerie.  Please read her story... 

I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in 1993 at the age of 11 and was given a life expectancy of five years. Various options for initial treatment failed, and I survived month-to-month on red blood cell and platelet transfusions. Due to my severely compromised immune system, I was also at the risk of getting an infection that would land me in the hospital or worse.

The challenging search for a bone marrow match proved to be a unique and defining obstacle in my experience with aplastic anemia. My doctors told me that I had a one in a million chance of finding a match, due to my Chinese and Caucasian mixed ethnic background. Many bone marrow drives were held for me, always with an emphasis on recruiting those of minority background. While the efforts to find a match for me were immense, at the same time we were increasing the chances of every other sick person out there finding a match as well. It was important to me to educate people about marrow donation. Getting registered is simple, and it is well worth it to see if you could possibly be a match for a child who might otherwise not make it through the year.

Seven years had passed with no match, and I had more or less given up hope of a cure. I had even started my undergrad at the prestigious University of Southern California, although my family, friends, and I all knew I was living on borrowed time. However, in the summer of 1999 after my freshman year at USC, a bone marrow match was finally found! I later found out my donor, Julie, was a graduate student from Michigan in her mid-20s. I will forever be grateful to her for sacrificing herself for my sake, a stranger she didn’t even know. We have also since met twice and have a special bond and a shared thankfulness for life due to our experience.

I graduated from USC in 2002, and now nine years post-transplant, I am enjoying a successful career, great friends, family, life and everything that comes with it! All of this wouldn’t have been possible if Julie hadn’t taken the time to register on her college campus 10 years ago.

Our familiar USC motto that rings so true and with great pride is “Fight on!” This is what cancer and blood disease patients are doing every day… “fighting on” for every minute of life. Won’t you come alongside those children and adults who need someone to step in and help them with their fight?

Come out and register with the National Marrow Donor Registry. It is simple and easy, and you never know if YOU could be that perfect life-saving match!

Fight On!

Valerie Sun

USC Alumnus, Class of 2002

Valerie currently resides in Ventura County and is the Operations Manager at a Xerox Sales Office.  She's an avid traveler, who since graduation, has been to Australia, China, and Europe.  This year, her sights are set on a trip to South America.  Music is also an important part Valerie's life--she is very active in the music ministry at her church.

To contact Valerie Sun, please use this link -- Valerie Sun