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The International Association for Organ Donation

313-745-2235

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www.iaod.org

Four Year Old Hispanic Boy In Need of a Bone Marrow Donor

Detroit, MI, January 1, 2003. Christopher Felix is a 4 year old Hispanic boy recently diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, a slow growing cancer that affects his bone marrow. Because this disease worsens over time, it is urgent that Christopher finds a bone marrow match or he will not live through his childhood.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a rare form of Leukemia and accounts for only 4 % of childhood leukemia cases. On April 17, 2003, Christopher’s family was stunned when doctors diagnosed their young Christopher with this cancerous disease during the course of a periodic medical examination. During the early stages of CML most people do not have any symptoms of the disease. The onset of CML is associated with symptoms that develop gradually, and may include: excessive sweating, weight loss, inability to tolerate warm temperatures, anemia, fatigue, and shortness of breath when physically active. All of these symptoms make it difficult for a 4 year old boy to live his life. Christopher’s best chance for survival is to find a Hispanic bone marrow match from his own racial or ethnic group. Unfortunately, 70 % of those searching for a bone marrow match need an unrelated individual willing to donate, as they cannot find a match within their own families. With only about 8 % of the worlds 5 million registered bone marrow donors being Hispanic, Christopher and his family have a huge challenge before them. The International Association for Organ Donation (IAOD) is working with Christopher’s family to organize bone marrow drives throughout the area, in order to find a life-saving match. Please contact fbeydoun@dmc.org if you can help Christopher in his efforts to save his life. Visit the International Association for Organ Donation’s website for more information on organ, tissue, and marrow donations (www.iaod.org).

The IAOD provides dynamic educational and outreach programs to the general public on the need for organ, tissue, and marrow donation and transplantation. We pay particular attention to the needs of vulnerable racial and ethnic minorities, and actively work to secure commitments to become organ and tissue donors. The IAOD began in 1999 as a 501 c (3) non-profit organization, and has since secured almost 7,000 organ donor registrations within the state of Michigan.

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