Hello, I’m Shardé Fultz and I received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant in 2011 after receiving chemo and radiation for my cancer diagnosis in 2009. The search for a donor was nerve-wracking especially as an African American, ethnicity is important in finding a match since HLA markers are inherited. My family and I knew it would be an uphill battle since Afro-Americans make up only 4% of donors–slim pickings for a perfect match. Thankfully, we found a match in nearly 3 months–many people wait much longer. My match was not close, but we took the risk due to the urgency…