Dallas, TX
Dallas teen searching for a bone marrow donor match
Dallas teen searching for a bone marrow donor match
There is a blood stem cell or bone marrow donor registration drive underway for a Dallas teenager who is battling an aggressive form of leukemia. Chip Waggoner taught Pike Peterson in a Sunday school class. He got sick at camp and after he had to be hospitalized his family got his shocking diagnosis.
DALLAS – A 13-year-old Dallas boy fighting an aggressive form of leukemia hopes his story will inspire people to take part in a bone marrow donor registration drive this weekend.
Pike Petersen learned he had cancer in July after feeling sick at summer camp. Now he needs a bone marrow transplant.
This Sunday, Park Cities Baptist Church will host a donor registration drive for Pike.
It will be run by the Earl Young Team, a nonprofit dedicated to the fight against blood cancer.
Chip Waggoner registered to be a bone marrow donor on Good Day Friday morning.
He has a personal connection to Pike, who used to be a student in his Sunday school class.
Anyone between the ages of 18 and 55 can follow Chip’s lead and sign up too.
SIGN UP: www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054fafab2ea31-bone
“If you’re found to be a matching donor, this is the biggest misconception. Most people are asked to donate stem cells from the bloodstream. It’s very similar to donating plasma or platelets. It’s only patients who are under the age of 3 who need actual marrow,” said Amy Roseman, the managing director for Earl Young’s Team.
The bone marrow registration drive is Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.
The process is simple requiring a cheek swab and filling out paperwork.