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Janet Liang

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Janet Liang
梁嘉欣
Born
Janet Liang

January 6, 1987
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
DiedSeptember 12, 2012 (2012-09-13) (aged 25)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Cause of deathComplications from acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Resting placeSan Mateo, California
NationalityAmerican
Alma materAmador Valley High School
University of California, Los Angeles (B.A.)
OccupationHealth advocate
OrganizationHelping Janet
Parent(s)Guy Y. Liang
Teresa Wei S. Liang
Websitewww.janetgliang.com

Janet Liang (Chinese: 梁嘉欣[1]; pinyin: Liáng Jiāxīn; January 6, 1987 – September 12, 2012) was a prominent health advocate and activist who advocated for ethnic minorities (especially Asian Americans) in the United States to join the national marrow registry, the National Marrow Donor Program.[2] In 2011, she was selected as one of Asian Pacific Americans for Progress's Unsung Heroes.[3] In 2012, Liang won the City of Pleasanton's 2012 Juanita Haugen Community of Character Awards.[4]

Early life and education

Liang was born on January 6, 1987, at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Guy and Teresa Liang, Chinese American immigrants from Guangdong, China.

Liang graduated from Amador Valley High School in 2005.[5] She went on to study at University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international development studies and a minor in education in Spring 2009.[6] Throughout her college career, Liang participated in undergraduate organizations that included Project Working for Immigrant Literacy Development, which works with socioeconomically disadvantaged immigrant students, and Net Impact Undergrad at UCLA, which focuses on socially conscious businesses.[2]

Helping Janet

On 24 August 2009, during her fourth year at UCLA, Liang was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. That year, she founded Helping Janet, a grassroots initiative aimed at mobilizing ethnic minority communities to register their marrow in 2009, with the help of her friends.[7][8] Helping Janet became a global movement, reaching out to Asians across the United States and the Chinese-speaking regions of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, by utilizing social media.[9][10]

The organization has since registered over 20,000 new donors and found 18 matches for blood cancer patients.[5]

On January 21, 2012, while at the hospital, Liang uploaded a video plea on YouTube asking Americans, particularly those of Chinese descent, to register for the marrow registry.[10][11] In the plea, Liang said:[12]

I'm so afraid of dying. It feels like I don't have much time left. And I realize that I’m afraid I’m dying because mostly I’m afraid of what I’m leaving behind.

The plea became a viral video after a posting on Reddit and has garnered some 380,000 views.[13] This video also garnered the attention and advocacy of Asian American internet celebrities and musicians including Far East Movement, Wong Fu Productions, Kevjumba and the cast of White Frog, including Harry Shum Jr., Booboo Stewart, BD Wong, Joan Chen and Amy Hill.[13][14]

On February 5, 2012, as part of the Governor of Guam's weekly address, Eddie Calvo publicly asked Guamanians to register in the marrow registry:[15]

Today, Joey Tyquiengco and Janet Liang need your help. You see, they’ve been diagnosed with leukemia and their chances of fighting will be even greater with your support. In a few days, the medical community will be holding a bone marrow drive to help Joey and Janet.

Death

In June 2010, she went into remission after a battery of chemotherapy treatments. One and a half years later, Liang relapsed in December 2011 and began treatment at the UCSF Medical Center and participated in a clinical trial at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

In June 2012, Liang found a 9/10 marrow match from a 29-year-old male.[16] She received a marrow transplant on 5 September 2012 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.[17] Liang died on September 12, 2012, six days after receiving a marrow transplant, owing to complications from chemotherapy.[2]

References

  1. ^ 陳巧倫 (23 June 2012). 梁嘉欣 找到骨髓配對了. 世界新聞 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Rajwani, Naheed (17 September 2012). "UCLA alumna Janet Liang passes away from leukemia". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  3. ^ "APAP 2011 Unsung Hero: Janet Liang". Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Sixth Annual Community of Character Luncheon Will Honor Those Who Give Back". Pleasanton Patch. 27 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  5. ^ a b Wohltmann, Glenn (12 September 2012). "Janet Liang dies after bone marrow transplant". Pleasanton Weekly. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Alumni and Current Students Profiles". International Institute. UCLA. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  7. ^ "'Mr. Hyphen' revamps Asian-American image". Associated Press. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  8. ^ Ivie, Erin (12 September 2012). "Pleasanton: Beloved bone marrow advocate loses battle with leukemia". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  9. ^ Kanhema, Tawanda (15 June 2012). "For minorities, search for bone marrow donors is a personal struggle". Oakland North. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  10. ^ a b Islas, Sara (6 June 2012). "'Helping Janet' uses social media to save a life". The Aggie. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  11. ^ Liang, Janet. "Finding a Perfect Match for Janet - Her Personal Plea". YouTube. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  12. ^ Wei, Clarissa (10 March 2012). "One woman's race against time to find a bone marrow match". USA Today College Edition. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  13. ^ a b Masunaga, Samantha (8 February 2012). "Alumna and leukemia patient Janet Liang finds worldwide support through social media". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  14. ^ "Post". White Frog the Movie. 7 May 2012.
  15. ^ Calvo, Eddie. "Weekly Address for February 06, 2012". Government of Guam. YouTube. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  16. ^ Kanhema, Tawanda (18 July 2012). "Leukemia patient finds donor after two-year search; fight continues to help Cynthia Rodriguez". Oakland North. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  17. ^ Lam, Charles (20 September 2012). "Janet Liang dies 6 days after receiving bone marrow transplant". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
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