January 22, 2020
Prayers for Juwan/Facebook
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle is supporting 17-year-old Juwan Adams, the Abington Senior High School student shown above, who needs a bone marrow transplant in his fight with Hodgkin lymphoma.
A 17-year-old student at Abington Senior High School is in desperate need of a match for a bone marrow transplant, and Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle has joined the push to find him a donor.
Juwan Adams was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in April 2016. While chemotherapy has been able to buy Adams time, he must find a matching marrow donor if he hopes to survive past the current stage in his treatment.
Despite his struggle with cancer, Adams remains active and engaged at Abington High. He's an honor roll student and a member of the school's drum line.
Earlier this week, Adams received help from Jack Connell, a graduate of nearby Hatboro-Horsham High School. Connell used his platform at the The Painted Lines, a sports and culture website, to bring attention to Adams' situation.
During an interview at Adams' home, Connell presented the teen with gifts from both the New York Knicks and Thybulle, who also sent Adams a video message.
(2/2) Please help him and share his story. You can register to see if you can match at https://t.co/k4zvHAuaTD. I want to thank Matisse Thybulle, the New York Knicks, and the 76ers for helping me let Juwan know he isn’t alone in this fight and we are all here to support him. pic.twitter.com/ILOk42mOJE
— Jack Connell (@JackConnellTPL) January 20, 2020
Thybulle's mother, a doctor, died in 2015 at the age of 50 after a battle with leukemia. Thybulle was 17 years old at the time.
Adams' search for a donor is particularly challenging because there are very few minority donors on the National Registry. The need for public outreach and participation in the match process has become life or death for Adams, whose story has been covered by several news outlets in recent months.
Determining whether a person is a match for Adams, or anyone seeking a blood stem cell donation, starts with joining the Be the Match registry. The organization will mail a kit with a cheek swab that must be returned. Those interesting in taking this test can do so by texting "savejuwan" (all one word) to 61474. Potential matches must be between 18-44 years old.
You can follow Juwan's story at the "Prayers for Juwan" Facebook page, where his mother, Andrea, shares updates about his condition and treatment.
"Juwan is running out of time. He is not expected to live much longer if he does not have a stem cell transplant within the few months," Andrea Adams wrote on Tuesday. "I am begging, pleading with all of you! If you are generally healthy and between the ages of 18-44, you can register with Be The Match and get tested to see if you are a match for this incredible young man."
