Singapore’s “Crazy Man” runs 31 marathons in 31 days – recruiting a donor per kilometre run for the Bone Marrow Donor Program (BMDP)

Singapore, 31 March 2014: The Bone Marrow Donor Programme’s (BMDP) resident “Crazy Man,” Ah Siao – aka Gerrard Lin - today completed his ambitious and record-breaking goal to run31 marathons in 31days. All this in his quest to raise awareness for the BMDP and to encourage more Singaporeans to take a simple step and sign up as a bone marrow donors thereby committing to save the life of a fellow human being.

Clocking up a whopping 1,302 kilometres during his “March Marathon Madness” campaign, the second phase of the challenge for Ah Siao and the BMDP is now to reach out and encourage at least the same number of volunteers (1,302) to sign up in a 10-week period.

During this 10-week period, from 1 April to 10 June 2014, the first 1,302 volunteers to register will be part of this exciting campaign and highlighted on a feature wall in the BMDP office. At the same time, the BMDP will be inviting financial contributions to cover the whopping $200,000 that it will cost in laboratory tests and equipment to add these new volunteer donors to the register.

The BMDP manages the only Bone Marrow Donor Registry in Singapore and is committed to find a matching donor for every patient whose life literally depends upon having a bone marrow transplant. When the odds of finding a match are 1 in 20,000, the more donors on the register, the more lives that can be saved and in support of this, the BMDP targets to recruit another 7,000 new donors this year.

“Too often people say they don’t have time to sign up but I hope the enormity of Ah Siao’s efforts will resonate and give them the courage and also the push they need to take that first step”, said  Jane Prior, BMDP President. “Being a donor takes just a few moments to sign up and if identified as a match, then a few days of inconvenience – nothing compared with running even one marathon and the prize in this case is to save a life”.

Throughout March, Ah Siao pounded the pavement (over 180 hours in total), to achieve his record-breaking target which he acknowledges was difficult, but insignificant in comparison to the suffering a leukaemia patient and their family has to undergo.

“My pain is nothing compared to what a patient experiences,” Gerrard states of his endeavours. “The strength and optimism they show is amazing and if they can endure the treatment leading up to a transplant, then I can run a few marathons in full support and try to get people to take notice.”

With “Match for Life,” the name of BMDP’s outreach campaign, printed across his chest, and “Donor’s Wanted” on the reverse, Ah Siao’s final marathon was celebrated with a party at BMDP’s office, where he literally ran in with a crowd of enthusiastic supporters and media. This great feat, in addition to raising awareness for the BMDP, could potentially get Gerrard into Singapore’s Book of Records. 

Want to be a part of March Marathon Madness? Head to the BMDP Website: www.bmdp.org or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmdp.sg for details on their next donor drive or to request more information about becoming a donor.  You can also contribute financially via GIVEasia: http://giveasia.org/movement/march_marathon_madness