Debbie Nelson swabs her cheek to register for a bone marrow match as Granger Medical Clinic hosts a bone marrow donor registry drive in West Valley City, Tuesday, March 11, 2014.

Ravell Call, Deseret News

WEST VALLEY CITY Heroes sometimes come from unlikely places.

Ethan VanLeuven's hero came in the form of his 21-month-old brother Blake.

Ethan, 4, has been a cancer patient for most of his life. His initial diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia came in September of 2011. The cancer that was in remission returned in June. His family soon found out that he would need a bone marrow transplant to survive.

In January, Ethan received that transplant from his brother. Siblings have a 25 percent chance of generating a successful bone marrow match.

On Tuesday, Granger Medical Clinic, Be the Match and the American Childhood Cancer Organization held a bone marrow donor drive to help gather potential donors for those who do not find a donor match within their family. The sample collection process is quick, free and may be a lifesaver.

"Really, it's their chance to be a hero. It's their chance to save someone's life," said Jennifer VanLeuven, the boys' mother.

About 20,000 people in the United States needed a bone marrow or umbilical cord transplant in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Of these, only seven out of 10 patients find a match within their families.

To gather the sample, volunteers at the Granger clinic used cotton swabs to collect samples of cheek cells from potential donors. The samples were sent on for testing and the potential donors' name put on an international registry.

Read more from the original source:
Finding bone marrow matches: Cheek swabs may help save lives

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