Public Employee Press

Friend of union needs bone marrow donor to survive

Jennifer Jones Austin, 42, a management official who worked closely with the union, needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life.

On Sept. 22, the mother of two young children received a diagnosis that could spell death: acute myeloid leukemia. The bone marrow transplant that could save her requires a 100 percent compatible match.

If you want to help, the process is simple. A cheek swab is all doctors need to tell if you could be the one to save Jennifer Austin — or one of the other thousands of patients who need bone marrow transplants.

Austin has a history of community activism and fierce and dedicated advocacy on behalf of disenfranchised children and their families. After four years as deputy commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg appointed her as the city’s first Family Services Coordinator.

“She shared the goals of our union and our members, and she was the kind of manager we could work constructively with,” said SSEU Local 371 President Faye Moore.

How to help: Get tested! The Be the Match Registry needs donors, especially those of African and Hispanic descent, who are dramatically underrepresented in the National Bone Marrow Registries.

Donating bone marrow simply requires a blood donation or minor outpatient procedure. Potential donors can get information about how to proceed online at www.savejenaustin.com. The site has all the information you need to take action and help to save a life — either Jennifer Austin’s or one of the thousands of other patients who will die without a bone marrow transplant.