Marrow Drive in Newtown CT on September 3rd 2015

There will be a marrow drive on September 3rd 2015 between 3-7 pm at St Rose of Lima Holy Innocents Faith Formation Center, 38B Church Hill Road, Newtown CT, 06470. You may be match to Ali Ekrem or someone else who is in need.

Ali Ekrem is a 4-year-old superhero who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma on May 5th.

The first symptoms were discomfort and pain in his legs and his family dragged him to numerous doctors, some of which claimed it was nothing but growing pains. Upon his mother’s persistence, a family friend radiologist finally discovered the primary tumor in his abdomen during a check-up ultrasound.

Ali Ekrem went through surgery on May 22nd and started the chemotherapy sessions right after. When the six sessions of chemo end, he will need to have stem cell transplantation. If his body responds to the chemo and his bone marrow is cleaned, this procedure will be done with stem cells extracted from his own body. If not, his only chance is to find a match. But even if he is able to have the stem cell transplantation with his own cells, there is still a 70% probability that his cancer might come back and at that point he will not have the chance to go through more chemo treatments. His only chance will be another stem cell transplantation from a donor.

You can be that match for this little superhero or may help someone else in need.