Last month we brought you the story of 8-month-old Elias, who is fighting for his life and in need of a bone marrow transplant.
SIGN UP TO JOIN BE THE MATCH HERE
Now, his family is hosting back-to-back bone marrow registry drives on Tuesday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 14 at The Hudson Cafe in downtown Detroit. The drives will take place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Metro Detroit family looking to find bone marrow match for 6-month-old son
- Ann Marie's All Stars: 10,000 sign up for bone marrow donation after report on Elias
Elias was diagnosed with an incredibly rare immune disorder, and he is only the 22nd person in America to be registered with it.
"He needs just the smallest amount of bone marrow from you to help him live a full life," his mother, Evelyn Argirokastritis, said.
The search for a match began with Elias' sister, moving to extended family, friends, and eventually, the Be The Match registry.
Right now, his mother said there are no registered matches for him in the U.S. or in the international registry.
"It's RSV season, a doctor told us if he were to get this respiratory infection that’s going around- it’s lethal for him – so we’re trying to keep him infection free as much as we can," Argirokastritis said.
His family is hosting "Be The Match" events throughout metro Detroit, searching for that one person who could save this little boy's life.
"I would give him anything and for all of us I feel so helpless and none of us are a match and we can’t do anything," she said. "Us getting his story out there and doing the best we can is us doing something and us helping him fight because we’re unable to give him the gift of life."
It's an easy test. For donors ages 18-44, a test you can also have shipped to your house.
For more information on the program, click here.
