Caitlin Bridel Needs a Bone Marrow Transplant URGENTLY!
- TsungTsin
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
Our Hakka community has a reputation for helping each other in times of need. We are asking for your help now on behalf of a young lady of Hakka and Scottish-English Canadian descent. Caitlin Bridel needs a bone marrow transplant and her aunt, Cathy Lyn sent a letter outlining her quest to find a matching donor.
Dear Hakka Community,
We urgently need your help to save the life of Caitlin Bridel, a 24-year-old woman of Hakka and Scottish-English Canadian descent, who has been diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Her only cure is a bone marrow transplant, but after searching 47 million donors worldwide, no match has been found—likely because there are too few mixed-ethnicity donors in the registry.
Caitlin is the daughter of Alethea Lyn (Hakka descent, daughter of Gloria Chen See and Basil Lyn) and Wallace Bridel (Scottish-Canadian). Because of her heritage, her best chance for a match is with Hakka individuals or those of mixed Hakka-European background.
How You Can Help
🔹 Ideally, If you are between ages 17-40, you can register as a potential donor. Ages outside this range can be accepted by the bone marrow bank
🔹 The first step is a simple cheek swab—painless and quick.
🔹 If you are a match, the donation is safe and usually done through blood collection, like donating plasma.
💡 Why is this important?The Hakka diaspora is widespread, and we believe Caitlin’s match could be out there among our people. By joining the registry, you could save her life and others in our community who face similar struggles.
💙 Register as a Donor:
United Kingdom – Anthony Nolan Trust
Canada – Canadian Blood Services – Stem Cell Registry
United States – Be The Match – National Marrow Donor Program
Netherlands – Matchis – Dutch Stem Cell Donor Registry
Hong Kong – Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry
China – China Marrow Donor Program (Site in Chinese)
India – DATRI – Indian Stem Cell Donor Registry | Marrow Donor Registry India (MDRI)
Malaysia – Malaysian Stem Cell Registry
Indonesia – Indonesia Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Taiwan - Taiwan Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center main bone marrow registry, with a large donor database across Asia.
Our Hakka heritage is built on resilience, family, and support for one another. Let’s come together and help Caitlin in her time of need.
With gratitude,
Cathy Lyn
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