Family Searching For Bone Marrow Donor for Daughter

June 5, 2007 (KABC-TV) (KABC) -- Faith, Elyse and Erin are all four-months-old. When their parents Tim and Susan Yu heard the word triplets, they couldn't believe it.

"We were more shocked than anything else," Tim said.

"I had tears rolling down my face," Susan said.

But last month, their joy turned to fear when Elyse became mysteriously ill.

"She had a high fever and her liver and spleen was really big," Tim said.

Doctors diagnosed her with a rare blood disorder called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or HLH.

The disease affects one in a million people. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has seen five to seven cases in the last year.

"The condition is actually fatal without having a bone marrow transplant," Dr. Guy Young, of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, said.

A sibling would be the first possible donor, but Faith and Erin may also carry the genetic condition. That's why doctors are hoping the Yu family finds an unrelated donor fast.

"Untreated, a patient can die within a few weeks," Dr. Young said.

Doctors are trying to buy Elyse time with chemotherapy, anti-rejection drugs and antibiotics.

Finding a donor is a huge challenge because of the 6.5 million marrow donors registered, 400,000 are Asian and only 50,000 are Korean.

"You find the best match within your own race, we're Korean. We need as many people as possible to register right now," Susan said.

But Elyse and others like her need donors committed to the process. Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches say an alarming number of matched donors pull out once they're called. And that can be devastating to the families involved.

But the Yu's acknowledge the only way to keep hope alive for their daughter is to appeal to the public.

"Save a life, that's all it is," Tim said.

The only thing required to register is simple swab of your saliva.

If you're a match, donating involves removing marrow from your hip bone or another process similar to giving blood.

Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches is holding a number of bone marrow drives this month. The drives are scheduled for:

June 6th UCLA at Ackerman, Room 2412 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

June 10th Berendo St Baptist Church, 975 S Berendo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90006, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

June 10th Light of Love Mission Church, 2801 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

June 17th New Life Community & Light House Mission Church, 846 S. Union Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90017, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

June 17th Oriental Mission Church, 424 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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