Health

The Asian American Donor Program (AADP) will present the third annual “Laugh for Lives” on Friday, Feb. 26, from 8 to 10 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at the Palace of Fine Arts, 2301 Lyon St. in San Francisco’s Marina District.

Hosted by Nancy Lee, the show will feature headliner Dat Phan (“Last Comic Standing”), Air Tabigue, Kevin Shea and Justin Rivera.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For more information, call (800) 59-DONOR, e-mail info@aadp.org or visit www.aadp.org.

The text message from Grant Nakatani was chilling: "Leukemia is back. No calls pls."

After a weekend of fretting over pending blood tests, the Nakatani family's worst fears were confirmed on Jan. 19. Eight-year-old Natalie's cancer was back, and this time she needs a bone marrow transplant to live.

Kimochi offers a Caregiver Support Group on the third Monday of every month for those who need a break from their busy caregiving life. Participants share their experiences and learn from each other.

The next meeting will be held Feb. 22 (second Monday this month) from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Kimochi office, located in the Buchanan Mall between Sutter and Post in San Francisco Japantown.

There is no charge and no RSVP is required. For more information, contact Fumiko DiDomizio, case manager, or Sango Harumi, social services coordinator, at (415) 931-2275

SAN JOSE — Yu-Ai Kai will present a healthy cooking and nutrition workshop on Thursday, Feb. 25, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Akiyama Wellness Center, 110 Jackson St. in San Jose Japantown.

The workshop is for those who are seeking a healthy lifestyle, or have pre-diabetes, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Participants will learn:

• How to choose foods that are healthful and easy to prepare

• The trick to reading food labels

• How to make food substitutions in your favorite recipes

• How to restock your refrigerator and pantry

PLEASANT HILL — Eight-year-old Natalie Nakatani was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) in the fall of 2008.

After five rounds of chemotherapy she went into remission and re-enrolled in school this past fall. But her leukemia returned in January and now her only chance for survival is to find a life-saving bone marrow donor as soon as possible. All are encouraged to register, particularly donors of Asian descent.

Natalie’s ethnic background is Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese.

SAN JOSE — A forum entitled “Cancer in the Nikkei Community: Awareness, Coping and Resources” will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Yu-Ai Kai’s Akiyama Wellness Center, 110 Jackson St. in San Jose Japantown.

Cancer is an important health issue for Nikkei families. Among all Asians, Japanese Americans have some of the highest rates of deadly cancers. This forum, in both English and Japanese, is designed to:

• Increase community awareness about cancer in the Nikkei community
• Provide information about cancer prevention

BERKELEY — Berkeley Buddhist Temple, 2121 Channing Way (near Shattuck), will host a bone marrow donor registration drive on Sunday, Jan. 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The drive is co-hosted by Alameda-based Asian American Donor Program, a community non-profit organization dedicated to helping save the lives of patients with life-threatening blood diseases. Temple members and friends are encouraged to support AADP’s efforts and register as potential donors.

SAN JOSE — San Jose library staff were deeply saddened by the recent passing of Cupertino librarian Ja-lih Lee, who was a former colleague at San Jose Public Library.

Transforming grief into action, they have arranged to sponsor a bone marrow drive in her memory on Sunday, Jan. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the 4th Street Lobby of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 150 E. San Fernando St. in San Jose.

NEW ORLEANS — The American Society of Hematology announced at its 51st annual meeting Dec. 6 that Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) was been named as the recipient of one of two Public Service Awards for her work to promote health care issues.

The congresswoman has introduced legislation for improved research and treatment of bone marrow diseases in the House of Representatives, H.R. 1230, the Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act, and has led congressional efforts for blood cancer research funding in recent years.

A discussion entitled "Am I Having a Senior Moment (or Is It Dementia)?" will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter St. in San Francisco Japantown.

Dr. Kimberly Kono will give an informational talk about the facts and myths about "normal aging" and dementia. She will provide insight into how our thinking abilities change with time and dispel common misconceptions about the aging process as well as dementia.