Blood and Marrow Drive for Local Boy Battling Leukemia Needs More Signups

Grayson Lautieri, 9, has started his fight against Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He was diagnosed on March 2 and he is getting top-notch care at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and lots of love and support from his family.

That family includes the larger firefighting family in Portsmouth. Lautieri is the son of Lt. Dominic “Nick” Lautieri, an EMT and firefighter who has been willing to put his life on the line for others every day for years.

It’s time for the community to do the same for Lautieri. A blood drive and marrow registration event on May 12 is one way. It will run from 3 to 8 p.m. at Glen Manor House at 3 Frank Coelho Drive in Portsmouth.

Along with donating blood, the event is a chance to quickly and easily sign up for a marrow registry that could lead to a match for the brave 9-year-old. And even if you’re not a match, you could help save the life of someone else battling cancer and in need of a donor.

Though Team Grayson has received a lot of support, they don’t have enough people signed up for appointment.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments make everything run all the more smoothly.

Please send your best time to sperez@ribc.org or call 401-621-0155 for an appointment. It’s that easy...

Lautieri lives with his family in Bristol. He was just discharged from the hospital this past week and has been spending time helping his little brother learn to walk, riding his bike and being a normal 9-year-old boy.

Just yesterday, Grayson was visited by Chief Canario and two patrolmen from the Bristol Police Department.

They brought gifts and a promise: as soon as he feels better, he’ll get a tour of the station and a ride along in any police vehicle of his choice.

You can check out a GoFundMe to help the family with their medical expenses here.

The family has been documenting Grayson’s progress on the Team Grayson Facebook Page.