Join The Symphony
Maybe you’ve noticed American Symphony on Netflix when you logged in looking for something to watch. May I give you the highest endorsement of this documentary and suggest you immediately add it to your Watch List?
This film started as a chronicle of Jon Batiste’s creation of American Symphony, a one-night performance at Carnegie Hall of a work he originated and expanded with the help of multiple musicians. Unique in every way, the preparation and performance shows the amazing talent that belongs to this singular individual. Not completely sure if you’ve heard of him before? You may recognize him as the former bandleader from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
What wasn’t part of the original plan for the doc was the relapse and treatment of his wife’s leukemia. That during the week Jon’s multiple Grammy nominations were announced, she restarted chemotherapy treatment. That during his epic award show performance, she was unable to attend in person due to the state of her immune system.
Suleika Jaouad, Jon’s wife, wrote an inspiring book about her first bone marrow transplant at 22, Between Two Kingdoms. You may recall I’ve recommended it before. Sadly, 11 years after her initial transplant, Suleika’s cancer returned and she needed a second transplant. Doctors prioritized finding an anonymous donor this time around because they feared if they used her brother’s stem cells again, that her chances of relapse remained high. Unfortunately, they were not able to find a match for her and so took the donation from her brother.
While the bone marrow donor program is life-saving for me and approximately 18,000 people each year, its donor diversity is not nearly deep enough. A Black person only has a 29% chance of finding a match. And for those of mixed ethnicity, like Suleika, statistics are even lower. This is why it is fantastic that Be The Match and Memorial Sloan Kettering are asking people to Join The Symphony so that the marrow registry can grow to reflect the diversity of the United States and beyond.
Intrigued? You can Join The Symphony through a variety of ways.
Sign up for the donor registry if you’re between the ages of 18 and 40. Registration to help save someone’s life simply requires a cheek swab.
Donate money to support the registry, patient costs and critical research.
Volunteer your time to support patients, advocacy efforts and fundraising.
During the time of year when many of us take the opportunity to help others, I hope you and those you know and love will Join The Symphony.
Post inspired by @suleikajaouad and @jonbatiste
Photos courtesy of Memorial Sloan Kettering and Netflix.
Your own story is an inspiration. Thank you for sharing brave struggles and acknowledging the wins.