Bone Marrow Drive Being Held For Bronx Man In Need Of Transplant
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A bone marrow drive is being held today for a young Bronx man battling leukemia.
Dionis Guerrero Baez's leukemia returned last summer and doctors told him his best chances of survival would be a bone marrow transplant, adding that the best match would be from one of his siblings.
LISTEN: WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reports
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But Baez doesn't have that option after three members of his family were killed in a plane crash.
"Both my sisters and my mother were killed in a plane crash, Dominican Republic, flight 587," he told WCBS 880 reporter Marla Diamond.
The plane crashed in Queens after takeoff in 2001, killing all aboard.
Doctors say his father is not a match and neither are those already in the bone marrow registry. Doctors at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital are hoping today's drive will finally find a match for the 20-year-old.
"In this young man's case, it just brings back the thoughts of this horrible tragedy and what might have been if that hadn't happened," Dr. Diane George said. "I just hope we can pull this young man through."
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"I'm always optimistic, always," said Baez. "Take it one day at a time. Hopefully, a lot of people will come out and we'll find a match."
The drive is being held today until noon at 3959 Broadway in Manhattan. If you can't make it to the drive, you can get a registration kit and additional information by clicking here.
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