A public service announcement:
I would like to ask for help to further our efforts in finding a Bone Marrow Donor for Harrison Leonardo.
Harrison Leonardo, a two-year old boy who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His father, OJ Padua Leonardo, is a San Francisco Fire Department firefighter.
His mother, Stephanie Isaacson, is a public affairs representative with Pacific Gas and Electric. He has a baby brother named Lucas.Harrison is fighting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), a form of cancer. He was diagnosed in early 2006 and went into remission in August. He relapsed just before Thanksgiving and is currently undergoing chemotherapy and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. None of his immediate family members are suitable donors. Finding a suitable donor is particularly difficult because he is bi-racial (Filipino and Caucasian).
Potential donors must have nearly the same human Leukocyte Antigens ( HLA) types as Harrison. These antigens are inherited characteristics, meaning the best chance of finding an unrelated donor is someone with a similar ethnic background. HLA typing takes less than 15 minutes, involves a simple cheek swab and there is no cost for ethnic minorities.
There is a shortage of ethnic minorities registered in the National Donor Programs, a data base of potential donors.We are asking those of similar backgrounds to please rise up to the occasion and help little Harrison with his battle against leukemia. They can find a location for testing at http://www.marrow.org
Please forward this information to anyone who you think may want to help. We appreciate your support.
If you have any questions, you can reach me directly
Cell phone: 510-828-4689
Email:jlbelton888_at_yahoo.com
See video at CBS5.com
