Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know Indian American Physicians’ Stem-Cell Drive Gets Overwhelming Response T he American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) launched its first-ever nationwide campaign in 2024, to expand the stem cell donor pool among Indians, which organizers said had received a great response across the US. The initiative was launched under the leadership of AAPI’s immediate past President. Dr. Satheesh Kathula. This effort addresses a critical gap in cancer treat- ment options for patients of Indian descent, who face significant challenges in finding compatible donors due to ethnicity-specific Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) matching. THE URGENCY BEHIND THE MISSION Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, AAPI President expressed deep gratitude to the many AAPI members and students across the nation, who have been part of these initiatives. “Stem cell transplants are a vital treatment for blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma HLA markers, which determine donor compatibility, are inherited and vary by ethnicity. I’m thankful to our local AAPI Chapter leaders, members and volunteers across the nation who have initiated and are spearheading the Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Registration across the nation, joining hands with the national AAPI in our efforts in creating awareness and enrolling more youth and adults to be part of this noble mission.” Patients of Indian ethnicity are more likely to match with Indian donors—but the existing donor pool is alarmingly small. Until now, families have had to orga- nize donor drives independently, while also coping with the emotional and medical toll of a cancer diagnosis, AAPI said in its press release. Stem cells are one of the treatment options for certain types of cancers. HLA typing, based on which stem cell donors and patients are matched is ethnicity specific. Indian patients have higher chances of matching with Indian donors. Unfortunately, Indian donor pool is very limited, making it difficult for patients to find a proper match. Moreover, until now, patients and their families are doing these drives on their own to find the match in addition to dealing with the diagnosis. There has been no unified push to increase the Indian donor pool. Recognizing this urgent need, AAPI partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), the world’s largest stem cell registry—in 2024 to launch a unified, nationwide campaign. MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. Dr. Sashi Kuppala, Chair of the Stem Cell Drive, while explaining the science, said “Matching donors is based on HLA typing, which is inherited and ethnicity-specific. Thousands of patients rely on transplants to survive.” Dr. Kuppala pointed to the “tremendous response to this initiative from the AAPI members and the wider Indian community.” Since November 2024, AAPI has organized drives in Milwaukee, Atlanta, Louisville, Evansville, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chattanooga, Huntsville, Little Rock, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Columbus, Edison, Chicago, Charlotte, Scranton, Sunnyvale, Milpitas, Frisco, Har- risburg, Pittsburgh, Leesburg, and San Diego under the leadership of the local high school and college students. AAPI provides volunteer certificates to the students who participate in the drives. Dr. Hetal Gor, Chair of AAPI BOT, emphasized the need for commitment. She said, “You could be someone’s only match—their only hope. Registering is a serious promise, but the donation process is safe and complication-free.” EXPANDING THE EFFORT TO INDIA With the experience gained in the US, AAPI is expand- ing the stem cell drives to India. AAPI has partnered with the Global Association of Indian Medical Students, and DATRI, the stem cell bank in India and launching the stem cell drives at the Global Health Summit in Bhu- baneswar, Odisha in January, 2026 in a grand scale. The campaign will then expand to medical schools across the country. Dr. Meher Medavaram, President-Elect, outlining the process, said, “Registration is simple. Scan the QR code, fill out your details, and return the cheek swab kit. Your HLA data will be stored securely.” Dr. Krishan Kumar, Vice President-Elect, while high- lighting the disparity, said, “70% of patients lack a family match. For Indians, the odds are even lower due to the limited donor pool.” Dr. Seema Arora, Secretary, described the donation lo- gistics, stating, “If matched, you’ll provide blood samples locally. Travel may be required, but all costs are covered. The process takes 20–30 hours over 4–6 weeks.” Dr. Soumya Nerevetla, Treasurer, in reinforcing the impact of Stem Donors on saving lives, said, “Finding a match is especially difficult for South Asians. Every donor helps save lives.” Dr. Kuppala and the AAPI leadership encourage indi- viduals and communities to host local drives and spread awareness. For more information or to organize a drive, contact: Sashikuppala@yahoo.com Learn more at: www. aapiusa.org By a StaffWriter PHOTOS:COURTESY AAPI Youth groups around the US involved with AAPI’s stem-cell initiative. Community Op-Ed: Bridging the Digital Divide: Providing 350,000 Students With FREE Chromebooks September 8, 2025 I n today’s digital world, access to reli- able technology and high-speed in- ternet is a necessity. Unfortunately, far too many NewYork City students don’t have this access, which, in turn, creates barriers to learning and taking advantage of opportunities. To bridge the digital divide and provide all our students with the technology they need to succeed — no matter their zip code or income — this school year, we are providing 350,000 brand new Chrome- books to NewYork City public school students with LTE or 5G access. These free devices will be distributed to students at more than 1,700 schools to help bring them on a level playing field for academic success. That’s 350,000 opportunities to support future James Baldwins, Shirley Chisholms, or mayors of NewYork City in the making because 350,000 students will soon possess the essential tools neces- sary to succeed in today’s digital learning environment. This is a monumental investment in our young people’s potential and working- class families of our city, and we are using data to ensure that the Chromebooks are distributed in areas where the need is greatest. These devices come preloaded with 5G internet access and educational programs so students can continue to learn, take advantage of remote oppor- tunities, and apply for jobs and colleges. Our Chromebook initiative also replaces outdated equipment that no longer meets current instructional and security stan- dards and ensures that the nation’s largest school district remains ahead of the curve. And because we know that too many families are still struggling with the cost of living and cannot always afford new, internet-enabled devices, we are provid- ing these devices to students for FREE. Earlier this year, NewYork City an- nounced an agreement with T-Mobile to become a major wireless carrier to sup- port city operations. This agreement saved taxpayers millions of dollars on city-issued mobile devices, and ensured we could pay for these Chromebooks and that students have high-speed internet regardless of where they live or how much their parents earn — because access should not be de- termined by zip code or by your income. This initiative builds on all the other initiatives our administration has launched to build a better future for our children, including increased reading and math scores for public school children, nation-leading dyslexia screenings for all students, adding 57 Gifted and Tal- ented programs to our public schools, helping nearly 14,000 students com- plete work-based learning experiences for the 2024-2025 school year through FutureReadyNYC, dramatically increasing early childhood education enrollment to 150,000 children across the city’s system, and investing $180 million to implement a comprehensive class size reduction plan that provides more individualized care to students, among other initiatives. At the end of the day, we want our young people to have all the tools they deserve and the technology they need to go as far as their dreams will take them. Investing in our students is critical as we continue to strive for a stronger, fairer, and more affordable city. By NewYork City Mayor Eric Adams 8 CITY VIEWS September 12, 2025