Singer in search for bone marrow donors for old classmate
The trauma of cancer hit home for Karen Mok Man-wai when she recently learned one of her oldest friends was battling leukaemia. 'Carolyn and I were classmates up to Form Five,' the actress-singer (below) said. 'Then I left Hong Kong to study in Italy and she moved to Canada with her family.'
That would be Carolyn Tam, 38, who was diagnosed with the cancer in December 2006. After an initial course of chemotherapy, she was declared cancer-free and even ran in a marathon last year to raise money for research. However, in April doctors told her the leukaemia had returned and she is now desperately in need of a bone marrow transplant.
'She was one of the cool athletic girls in our class. She's very pretty, too. When she learned about her illness, she was very positive that she would be cured. It was actually us who couldn't hold our tears and she would reassure us.'
To help her friend find a donor, Mok is now pleading for everyone to register at the Red Cross in the hope of finding a match. Most likely, the individual will be of Chinese descent and Mok is specifically asking people with the last name Tam or Lau (who might be distant relations) to have their blood tested.
Sadly, Carolyn's family members don't match her. Singer Alan Tam Wing-lun (no relation) also recorded a video to help spread the word. The fact is, even if you're not a perfect match, it doesn't hurt to build a larger registry database for other patients who might be in need. Please go to any Hong Kong Red Cross branch to do your part.
