I DETROIT I Southfield Man Searches For Bone Marrow Donor SUSAN GRANT Staff Writer Paloma Picasso's Love and Kisses Paloma Picasso's exclusive pin and earring designs in eighteen karat gold. JULES R. SCHUBOT jewellers — gemologists 3001 West Big Beaver Road • Suite 112 • Troy, Michigan 48084 • (313) 649-1122 RODNICK BROS., INC. Fruit gift 23askets DAVID SYME Pianist WE SPECIALIZE IN ALL OCCASION GIFT BASKETS (Kosher available) * JUST CALL * 'Eel 772-4350 JODI RODNICK DELIVERY NATIONWIDE WE'RE NUMBER ONE! 16 FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1990 Public and Private Performances, Lectures, and Entertainment. 737-5543 111 ! I Pi ! Southfield family is pressing an Ohio court to open adop- tion records in an attempt to save their son's life. Jonathan Cohen, 19, was first diagnosed with leukemia in December. Cohen, who worked at a local restaurant before the diagnosis, graduated from Southfield Lathrup High School last year. He is undergoing chemotherapy treatment while waiting for a donor. Dr. Robert Bloom, who has been treating Cohen, said the leukemia went into a brief remission earlier this year with the help of chemotherapy. But last month it returned. Because chemotherapy failed to cure the disease, Cohen's best chance for re- covery is finding a bone marrow donor, Dr. Bloom said. Cohen, who was adopted as a baby, needs the adoption records in Youngstown, Ohio, open so he can find his biological family including any brothers or sisters he might have. He has the best chances of finding a donor from his natural family. Cohen's mother, Charlene Ehrlich, said usually family members are checked first to see if they match. However, because Cohen was adopted, neither Ehrlich nor Cohen's sister, Shelia, 26 are com- patible donors. Once the whereabouts of Cohen's natural parents are discovered, they must be tested to determine if they are suitable donors. But Dr. Bloom said even if the parents are found, chances are they will not be a compatible match. Cohen's best chance for a match is finding a brother or sister from his natural parents, Dr. Bloom said. There is a 25 percent chance the match will work with a sibling. While Cohen is at Sinai, doctors are determining his tissue type. Once doctors know his tissue type they will try to match it up with those found in the National Bone Marrow Registry. The registry holds the names and tissue types of people who have agreed to be bone marrow donors. Without his natural fami- . Jonathan Cohen ly, doctors must search for compatible donors through the national registry. If the registry has no match, Cohen's family must begin a local search for a donor. Ehrlich asks area residents to go to the Ameri- can Red Cross and become pheresis donors. The two- hour pheresis procedure, where blood is extracted, separated and tested, is available at the downtown Red Cross office. According to the American Red Cross, 100,000 people are on the National Bone Marrow Registry. Chances of Cohen finding a match are one in 20,000. Although insurance pays for the bone marrow opera- tion, it will not pay for the search. Ehrlich expects the search, which includes fin- ding Cohen's natural parents, to exceed $25,000. To help pay for the search, Congregation Beth Achim Rabbi Martin Berman has established a discretionary fund in Cohen's name. Ehrlich said although he is tired from the chemotherapy and did not want to talk, Cohen is feeling pretty good. He is expected to be released from the hospital at the end of the week. Despite the uncertainties of finding a bone marrow donor, Ehrlich remains op- timistic that one will be found. "I have to be." ❑ Machon L'Torah Sets Banquet The Jewish Learning Net- work of Michigan will hold its Tenth Anniversary Banquet June 27 at The Days Hotel in Southfield.