Kim Kardashian urges donor match for Jewish cancer patient
Celebrity posts Facebook message backing bone marrow drive for Adam Krief, Los Angeles father of three
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Reality star Kim Kardashian West on Tuesday put her considerable social media influence behind a drive to find a bone marrow donor match for a Jewish father of three in Los Angeles who has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.
Israeli Adam Krief, 31, who lives in California, was diagnosed two months ago with primary myelofibrosis, and searches for a suitable donor have so far been unsuccessful.
In messages posted to her Facebook and Twitter accounts, Kardashian called on the public to be tested in the hope of finding a match for Krief, who has a rare blood type.
“My best friend Allison’s 2 year old son is in school with a little boy called Joel, and his dad Adam needs our help!” Kardashian wrote. “He is 31 and a father of three who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive blood cancer called primary myelofibrosis.”
“He is desperately searching for a bone marrow match to survive, and you could be that match!! Go to Hope 4 Adam to find out how you can help!! Xo”
My best friend Allison’s 2 year old son is in school with a little boy called Joel, and his dad Adam needs our help! He…
Posted by Kim Kardashian West on Monday, September 26, 2016
Some 29,288,000 people have ‘liked’ Kardashian’s main Facebook page, and the internationally known star has over 48 million followers on Twitter.
A donor match drive is scheduled for Israel on Wednesday, with testing available at dozens of locations across the country. Initial screening for a blood type involves a simple saliva swab.
The testing also hopes to find a match for two-year-old Adam Goman, of the central Israeli city of Modi’in, who was diagnosed with myelodysplasia and also needs a bone marrow transplant.
Go to https://t.co/NEh8CLCwRD now to find out how you can help!! Xo
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) September 27, 2016
Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem Ein Kerem and the Ma’avak Lehayim (Struggle for Life) organization are hoping to raise NIS 4 million ($1,066,000) to help pay for the saliva tests, which cost NIS 200 ($53) to process.
The Hope 4 Adam Facebook page details the efforts to find a match for Krief.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
