Help Amit Gupta: $30,000 Reward Offered For Bone Marrow Match

When Amit Gupta learned of his acute leukemia diagnosis last month, he wasn't shy about asking for help -- and neither were his tech-savvy friends.

The 32-year-old online entrepreneur has launched a full-blown social media campaign in search of a marrow match. Gupta created a Twitter account (he's now a trending topic on the site) and Tumblr devoted to updating his 14,600+ followers on his health and offering instructions on how to help.

To motivate potential donors, some of Gupta's friends have put together a generous reward for the first successful marrow match. After learning it was illegal to pay for an organ, Gupta's generous supporters said they would donate to whomever matches, regardless of whether he chooses to donate, according to Bloomberg.

First, online marketing executive and colleague Seth Godin offered $10,000 dollars to the first person whose marrow matched that of Mr. Gupta. Then, Michael Galbert, co-founder of Aviary, and Jake Lodwick, co-founder of Vimeo matched his finders fee, bringing the grand reward total to $30,000, reports CTV News.

The outpouring of support from the virtual network Gupta has accumulated has given him hope. "Just seeing all these people getting tested or organizing drives, I don't think any single thing other than that has lifted my mood. I cannot be thankful enough," Gupta told NBC Bay Area.

Gupta is Indian, an underrepresented population in the national bone marrow registry. Ethnicity can be a determining factor in bone marrow matches, but a limited pool of potential donors isn't the only difficulty facing Gupta's hunt. The chances of a South Asian locating a match is 1 in 20,000, reports NBC Bay Area.

"Unlike blood transfusions...successful marrow transfusions rely on matching as many as 10 different genetic markers...For South Asians, the search is further complicated because populations from the region have more combinations of genetic markers than any other group," reports the New York Times.

But for Gupta and his friends, the reward for donations means means "more people who would have never thought about being part of the donor bank, now are. And that means matches for thousands of people who would have never stood a chance otherwise," reports NBC Bay Area.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. If you live in New York City, you can attend the Brown Bones Benefit Party in TriBeCa on October 14th for cocktails and cheek swabs to see if you are a match.

2. Parties are also in the works in San Francisco, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Mich., Dallas and New Haven, Conn.

2. Register through the National Marrow Donor Program and get a free test by mail. Swab your cheek and send the kit back. If you aren't a match for Amit, you might be for someone else!

3. Organize a donor drive near you to register neighbors, friends, and strangers in your area. For free kits, flyers, and logistical tips, email [e-mail].

WATCH:

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

Comments

[SallyIQ199]

08:32 PM on 10/14/2011

I'm all for being a donor if you can but I was really surprised after trying to become a bone marrow donor a few years ago. I was asked to pay for the testing and everything that involved them taking my bone marrow and putting me into a data base. It's not that I would mind paying that I couldn't afford it. Don't know if anything has changed but that was several years ago. It would be an awesome thing to help save another persons life!

[donnadoc3]

12:42 AM on 10/15/2011

Go to BETHEMATCH.ORG. They will send you a free kit to get you started. No charge to you! The test only involves a simple swipe of your inside cheek with the cotton swabs they provide. Send it back in the prepaid envelope! Very simple and again ... no charge what so ever!

[mikiebagles]

08:22 PM on 10/14/2011

why not ask obama hes giving everything we have away.but not to americans we have to pay to stay alive.

[Mushu Friend]

07:22 PM on 10/14/2011

I hope "Waldo" finds his match.

[wesdfs]

06:52 PM on 10/14/2011

well who ever does have a match will have to spend the 30k on their hospital bill and it could be more if there are complications-------good luck

[eternalhealth1]

06:27 PM on 10/14/2011

Please send this man back to his original country to find a match. DNA is very important. That is why you cannot just mix with any DNA. If he cannot afford to take the trip; find Indian Friends, Doctors and Healing Centers online to ask about Marrow Donations. You all will have to network to accomplish this. Also find a Indian Ayvrudic Health Practitioner (sorry about the spelling) to help with healing until a proper donor is found. Dr. Sebi is great healer for the the U.S., African, Carribean, South American and Indian Ocean Island Countries, etc. He was able to help heal an old Navy buddy from cancer. He has helped regular folks and Celebrities alike.

[Wayne Crawford]

06:24 PM on 10/14/2011

With all of the people "willing to help for free" why are they not out donating? Why is it that you will only help the person offering cash? Why not go donate to someone that you DO have a match to and who doesn't have cash to offer?

[mikiebagles]

08:16 PM on 10/14/2011

greed my friend plane old greed

[Carol Tolhurst]

09:14 PM on 10/14/2011

All you have said is true but moot. Finding a donor for a stem cell or marrow transplant is very difficult. Usually the best donor is a sibling (even that might not be a match) I need one myself. It would be nice if it were a better world and people stepped forward without being asked but it isn't. But to those who might, for money or for free, are mindful that it could be useful to someone else and more than willing for it to be used for another. For me..........well, I'm ashamed to say, that I just never thought of it. If more folk had the awareness, they would, like you, donate all that they are able be it blood, marrow or organs. But, if for now, finding the money to pay for it through second or third party donation I thought might be the answer to save my life I'll do it in a heart beat. This man, whether you approve or not, has found a unique way to use the internet and search for help and while some might be dismayed by the method it can be said that perhaps it can become a legal medium for the future to access the help needed that the current avenues available to us can't. His website does seem to have made a headline so he may have in fact brought awareness of the need to those who hadn't given thought to it before.

[todd heffernan]

06:17 PM on 10/14/2011

Boo hoo what about the other people who need the same thing and can't raise the $30,000 I don't feel sorry for this guy at all.

[mlondeaux]

06:30 PM on 10/14/2011

Wow, are you always this heartless?

[Mike Sowell]

06:52 PM on 10/14/2011

Great outlook on life. If we cant save everyone , lets let them all die. It could be you next. Forgive me if I dont shed a tear.

[cr377540]

06:05 PM on 10/14/2011

I tried to register but they don't want any old farts!!

[Cheri Quinn]

12:54 AM on 10/17/2011

Before I even try - how old is too old?

[blackdragon471]

06:03 PM on 10/14/2011

Very true indeed Drew.

[Cptn Drew]

05:52 PM on 10/14/2011

Good luck to this guy, hope he finds it, and hope the authorities don't block a possible life saving proceedure over this. I find it funny that the author of this article used the terminology "Ethnicity [as a] determining factor in bone marrow matches". This article proves a point that I have argued with many anthropology, sociology, ethics and select other professors at two universities -- RACE is real, there are significant genetic differences in people depending on the geographical origins of their ancestors. Ethnicity, on the other hand, is based on a person's customs and value sets, has nothing to do with race. Ethnicity isn't generally visually identifiable, nor is it biologic, it is an abstract. Unfortunatley, race has been turned into a bad word by the public and their use of it to identify people by visual characteristics and "racial profiling" is the horrible outcome. Many anthropologists believe that the mixing of races over the centuries has negated the ability to identify any single person as one race or another - and by any other means they are correct, you can no longer identify ANYONE by visual characteristics - there is probably nobody left in the world who is pure anything. But on a genetic level race can be determined by the dominence of certain alleles.

[glennwarne]

05:47 PM on 10/14/2011

There should be more people signing up for this!!! You can save a live just by them checking your blood! I am not surprised that Gupta is a rare blood match as it is an INDIAN name. Perhaps he would DO BETTER TO RUN AN AD IN INDIA??? SURELY THERE MUST better chance of a Dna match there as opposed to here! Wish you good Karma and may your prayers be heard!!!

[Mike Hillard]

04:12 PM on 10/14/2011

swab my cheek if i am a match i dont want your money just a thank you works

[Christopher W Gagnon]

04:12 PM on 10/14/2011

I'd do it for no money.

[spaccejump]

03:40 PM on 10/14/2011

I hope all goes well for this guy! We are ALL brothers and sisters, no matter what happens in this complexed world we live in!

[mrmajestyk46]

03:33 PM on 10/14/2011

Which cheek do I swab?