Help Harrison Find a Bone Marrow Donor
November 29th, 2006
Harrison Leonardo is a two-year old boy who is fighting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. He’s spent most of this year fighting cancer, which went into remission in August. Unfortunately his family learned the cancer relapsed just before Thanksgiving.
He is currently hospitalized and undergoing another round of chemotherapy while his doctors and family search for a donor.
Harrison’s family will organize several donor drives over the next few weeks throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Please check back here soon for info on more drives. There is no fee for minorities to register and get tested. Caucasians can expect to pay between $25 and $52, depending on funding levels.
If you are unable to attend a drive you can still help by requesting a free testing kit be mailed to your home. To request a free kit, please call 1-800-59-DONOR (1-800-593-6667) or visit AADP.
A bone marrow donor must have an identical Human Leukocyte Antigens type (HLA type). His parents’ and brother’s HLA types do not match Harrison, meaning we are now searching for a non-related donor. A suitable donor will most likely have a similar ethnic background as Harrison, who is Filipino and Caucasian. There is also a chance a match can be found with someone who is of Asian descent or who is bi-racial.
We are hoping that community involvement and support will result in finding a miracle match for Harrison.
To learn how you can help, please go to www.helpharrison.com
Helpful Links
- Asian American Donor Program Learn How to Become a Donor
- Harrison's Blog Updates on Harrison and his family-Written by his mother
- National Marrow Donor Program Learn About Marrow Transplants
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