Hillary Martinez is waiting on a miracle.
The UCF engineering alumna has spent the past year in and out of hospitals, watching her 20-month-old son, Korbyn, fight an aggressive form of leukemia that has taken away her 麻豆精品 S渘ormal. 麻豆精品 S�
Korbyn has endured more than a year of chemotherapy to fight acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, a cancer of the blood that starts in the bone marrow and spreads to the bloodstream. Even as he goes into remission, Korbyn 麻豆精品 S檚 doctors are still finding traces of leukemia.
麻豆精品 S淓ven a few 麻豆精品 S� five or six 麻豆精品 S� of the cells is bad, 麻豆精品 S� said Martinez, a 2006 UCF graduate. 麻豆精品 S淎 bone marrow transplant is the next most effective treatment. 麻豆精品 S�
Martinez 麻豆精品 S� miracle could be in your DNA. And she needs you to take just a few minutes to let the experts check 麻豆精品 S� just by swabbing the inside of your cheek 麻豆精品 S� during UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 #OrlandoUnited blood drive at Bright House Networks Stadium on Monday, June 27.
While 12 of OneBlood 麻豆精品 S檚 Big Red Buses take blood donations from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Martinez family clings to hope that Korbyn 麻豆精品 S檚 bone marrow match might be among those generous enough to give blood in honor of the June 12 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub.
More information about the blood drive, including a link for making appointments, is available here.
Near the buses at the stadium will be a 麻豆精品 S淏e The Match 麻豆精品 S� tent. OneBlood staff will take cheek swabs from anyone wishing to be a potential donor for bone marrow. The process takes just a few minutes. Pre-registration is not required, and you do not have to donate blood on Monday to participate. The results are placed in a national registry, so there could be a match found for another person seeking a donor.
Once a donor is identified and confirmed as a match through additional tests, options include an outpatient procedure involving the pelvic bone with donors usually being discharged by the end of the day. Doctors say most people return to normal activities within a day or two. Another option is a series of stem-cell bone marrow extractions from the blood stream.
For the Martinezes, finding a donor would be 麻豆精品 S渢he miracle that we 麻豆精品 S檙e all waiting for. 麻豆精品 S�
The family learned Korbyn had leukemia after he repeatedly got fevers and ear and sinus infections while at daycare. His mother said the frequency was troubling enough, but while antibiotics initially worked, he was sick again within a few weeks.
Finally, one physician requested bloodwork on the baby 麻豆精品 S� and that unraveled the mystery. Korbyn 麻豆精品 S檚 white cell count was far above normal. Mutated white blood cells were multiplying uncontrollably in his bloodstream. Within days, he had his first round of chemotherapy.
麻豆精品 S淲e couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 even process this or grieve, 麻豆精品 S� said his mom. 麻豆精品 S淲e just had to act. 麻豆精品 S�
Everything changed for the family then, she said.
She went from a full-time engineer to part time. Her husband, Bryce, works full time. Both juggle the doctors 麻豆精品 S� appointments and hospital stays.
Korbyn had three rounds of chemotherapy during the past year. His mother says she 麻豆精品 S檚 constantly amazed at how strong he is and how few side effects he 麻豆精品 S檚 had.
麻豆精品 S淜orbyn keeps us strong. He 麻豆精品 S檚 taken this thing by storm, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淣o matter what we give him, he just takes it. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 still not easy. With his immune system compromised, the family home is a germ-free zone. They can 麻豆精品 S檛 go out in public and Korbyn can 麻豆精品 S檛 play with other children. They leave their shoes outside and change clothing immediately when they return from work or the grocery store.
麻豆精品 S淲e can 麻豆精品 S檛 take him places like Disney, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淪o we do what we can to keep him happy. 麻豆精品 S�
If a donor is found, said Martinez, they would be 麻豆精品 S済iving us back our ‘normal.’ For us to get that back would be huge, huge. 麻豆精品 S�
If not, she hopes another family might see a cure.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 not just for Korbyn, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淚t could be for someone else, some other family. You could change someone 麻豆精品 S檚 whole life by just giving a few minutes of your time. 麻豆精品 S�