Police chief provides DNA sample in hope of saving young woman's life

Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich gave a DNA sample on Sunday as part of a nation-wide effort to locate a suitable bone marrow donor who might save the life of leukemia patient Roni Cohen, a young woman who is about to get married.

Alsheich stated that “the campaign to save Roni became wide-spread in our family because we’re of the same heritage as her, Yemenite-Moroccan.”

Alsheich gave the statement after giving a spit sample at an Ezer Mizion (Israeli health organization) booth that was operating at a police information fair attended by the Chief of Police.

Roni Cohen was diagnosed with advanced leukemia in July. The difficult news was made even harder to bear as she was planning to marry her fiancé Bar Armon in September.

Bar decided to attempt to save his future bride, and wrote a moving Facebook post in which he explained the couple is looking for a suitable donor, a Jewish person with a Yemenite-Moroccan or North African heritage, in the hope that such a donor might be able to provide healthy bone marrow for Roni.

“The doctors say that if no donor is found in the coming month, the story of the love of my life will end at the age of 27,” Bar wrote.

With the help of Ezer Mizion, which operates the largest database of Jewish bone marrow donors, 4,000 samples have been collected so far in 25 booths around the country. Possible donors are requested to give a sample of their spit, a painless and free process.

“I pray that a donor might be found,” said Alsheich. “Me or someone else.”

The campaign to save Roni ends on Sunday, but those interested can always contact Ezer Mizion, even after the campaign ends.

Those of Yemenite, Moroccan or North African descent between 18-50 years of age who have never registered in any bone marrow registry in Israel can receive a cheek-swab kit to be tested by emailing cmiller@ezermizionusa.org with their name and address.