Yun – Yeun (fondly referred to as “Yun”) is a husband, brother, son, uncle, cousin, friend, cook, basketball fan, and so much more. He was recently diagnosed with the extremely rare condition histiocytic sarcoma, which is a blood cancer that also reveals itself in tumors on tissue and bone. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment. However, his doctors say his best shot at remission and/or a cure is a bone marrow transplant.Yun shares his life with his wife Jumee. They met in 1989 and it was love at first sight; they have been inseparable ever since. They married in May 2000, and in October of that same year Yun was diagnosed with kidney failure. Fortunately, his sister Jin was a perfect match and donated a kidney to Yun. He is forever grateful to her for her gift and support, and although he has experienced side effects of the kidney transplant. He committed to taking care of his body through diet and exercise. He was even playing basketball until the age of 50— a feat that amazes his nephews! In 2005, having been trained in the culinary arts, Yun and Jumee opened their own VP Deli in New Jersey. They enjoy spending their days serving loyal customers who have become good friends over the years.In 2021, Yun was diagnosed with histiocytic sarcoma. He is likely one of the first human patients with this form of blood cancer. He endured four rounds of chemotherapy that unfortunately did not help his condition. He started a more aggressive form of treatment this past July and is entering another round soon. His doctors believe a bone marrow transplant is his only viable chance for a cure. Unfortunately, no one in his family or on the current bone marrow registry is a perfect fit.Currently, people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent only have a 41% chance at finding a donor on the registry because of underrepresentation. Yun has partnered with Be The Match to encourage as many people to register as a potential bone marrow donor to save Yun’s life as well as to grow the list of nationally registered Asian donors – a list that is devastatingly short and in need of this awareness. This is where we need your help.
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