Owen McMasters.

Owen McMasters, a 15-year-old student at Trinity High School, is facing a battle most kids his age will never face. Hes fighting leukemia again.

McMasters was first diagnosed in 2011. He managed to fight off the disease, but following a recent relapse, McMasters now needs a bone marrow transplant.

McMasters and his family have teamed up with Sharing Americas Marrow (SAM) to host bone marrow donor registration events at the Kornhauser Library courtyard on the University of Louisville Medical School campus Sept. 16 and 17 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and on the University of Louisville main campus in the Swain Student Activities Center Sept. 18 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

We spoke with Alex Kimura, director of Sharing Americas Marrow, about McMasters condition, the upcoming donor drive, and how signing up as a blood marrow donor can save a life.

THE VOICE-TRIBUNE: Please tell us about Owens struggle and how he is currently doing. Has he found a donor yet, and if not, is it possible he could find one at the upcoming drives?

ALEX KIMURA: Owen McMasters was diagnosed in November of 2011 when he was 12 years old with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Owen had nine months of intense chemotherapy and then had been managing his blood cancer until recently, when a relapse put him back in the hospital. Owen, a 15-year-old sophomore at Trinity High School in Louisville, is now going through chemotherapy again, but now his doctors at Kosair Childrens Hospital think that a bone marrow transplant is needed to cure him of his disease.

Siblings have a 25 percent chance of being a bone marrow donor match because matches are made based on DNA tissue types, but unfortunately neither of Owens two brothers are matches. A match for Owen or for one of the thousands of other blood cancer patients who are looking for a donor could be found at any of the upcoming bone marrow donor drives in the Louisville area. Donors who register are signing up to be a potential donor for ANY patient in need of transplant, including but not limited to Owen.

V-T: What part does healthy bone marrow play in fighting leukemia and other blood cancers?

KIMURA: Leukemia and other blood cancers signify that the bodys bone marrow is failing. The bone marrow is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which are the cells that produce oxygen, fight infection, and help with clotting, respectively.

Go here to read the rest:
SAM and Trinity Teen Team Up for Bone Marrow Donor Drives

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