Hillary Martinez is waiting on a miracle.
The 麻豆原创 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 鈥渘ormal.鈥�
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鈥檚 doctors are still finding traces of leukemia.
鈥淓ven a few 鈥� five or six 鈥� of the cells is bad,鈥� said Martinez, a 2006 麻豆原创 graduate. 鈥淎 bone marrow transplant is the next most effective treatment.鈥�
Martinez鈥� miracle could be in your DNA. And she needs you to take just a few minutes to let the experts check 鈥� just by swabbing the inside of your cheek 鈥� during 麻豆原创鈥檚 #OrlandoUnited blood drive at Bright House Networks Stadium on Monday, June 27.
While 12 of OneBlood鈥檚 Big Red Buses take blood donations from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Martinez family clings to hope that Korbyn鈥檚 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 鈥淏e The Match鈥� 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 鈥渢he miracle that we鈥檙e all waiting for.鈥�
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 鈥� and that unraveled the mystery. Korbyn鈥檚 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.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 even process this or grieve,鈥� said his mom. 鈥淲e just had to act.鈥�
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鈥� appointments and hospital stays.
Korbyn had three rounds of chemotherapy during the past year. His mother says she鈥檚 constantly amazed at how strong he is and how few side effects he鈥檚 had.
鈥淜orbyn keeps us strong. He鈥檚 taken this thing by storm,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o matter what we give him, he just takes it.鈥�
It鈥檚 still not easy. With his immune system compromised, the family home is a germ-free zone. They can鈥檛 go out in public and Korbyn can鈥檛 play with other children. They leave their shoes outside and change clothing immediately when they return from work or the grocery store.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 take him places like Disney,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o we do what we can to keep him happy.鈥�
If a donor is found, said Martinez, they would be 鈥済iving us back our ‘normal.’ For us to get that back would be huge, huge.鈥�
If not, she hopes another family might see a cure.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just for Korbyn,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t could be for someone else, some other family. You could change someone鈥檚 whole life by just giving a few minutes of your time.鈥�