Blood
Dallas teen searching for a bone marrow donor match
Aug
Dallas teen searching for bone marrow donor match
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.
A drive is being held Sunday at the family’s church home, Park Cities Baptist, to find someone who can help save Pike Petersen’s life.
The test is just a simple swab in the cheek.
“We’re at a high altitude, so we basically just thought that was it,” his family recalled.
Blood work later showed he had an aggressive form of leukemia.
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.
“I play football, basketball, and pickleball,” Pike said.
“After you get chemo, you get really bad mouth sores, and it’s really hard to eat,” he said.
“She’s doing good. She’s in remission,” Pike’s dad, Paul Petersen, said.
“Pike needs a transplant. He needs a donor, and without that, he will not, he will not…yeah, it’s just important that he has one,” Paul added.
Everyone tested during the drive Sunday will be in a registry. Even if people are not a match for pike, they may be a match for someone else nearby or on the other side of the world.
Amy Roseman, who is managing director with Earl Young’s Team, said only four out of ten patients diagnosed with blood cancer find a match.
“For diseases like leukemia and lymphoma, and they need an exact genetic twin,” Roseman explained.
Anyone between the ages of 18 and 55 can follow Chip’s lead and sign up too.
If you are a match for someone like Pike, the process is similar to a simple blood donation.
Pike said seeing people support him is giving him strength.
The process is simple requiring a cheek swab and filling out paperwork.
