A 7-year-old mixed-raced boy who's fighting his second battle with an aggressive form of cancer is in need of a stem cell donor who shares his ethnic background, and his parents are asking people to register as donors.
"We were shocked, stunned, crushed and distraught," dad Chris Jacoby of Redondo Beach, California, told "Good Morning America" of his son's diagnosis. "To save Ryan we need someone with the same ethnic mix--half Vietnamese, half Caucasian and time is of the essence. It's imperative for Ryan's survival."
Ryan Jacoby is seen in an undated photo with his sister Mikayla, 7. Ryan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on April 5, 2017. Ryan underwent another round of chemotherapy and was once again hospitalized. Now, his doctors and his parents -- Chris and Fawn Jacoby -- are pleading with people who are half Asian and half Caucasian to register with Be The Match marrow registry.
Dr. David Freyer, a pediatric oncologist at the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, is Ryan's primary doctor.Freyer told "GMA" that Ryan is not the first patient he's seen who requires a stem cell donor of mixed-race ethnicity.
C'mon people... Let's Do this!!!...
beautiful story.
It's a little scary prospect considering a beloved teacher just died while donating marrow. I'm so sorry their child is in this health situation. I hope that a brave compassionate, soul who is a match, will come forward willing to help.
Best wishes and good luck
Can you clarify if only mixed race persons should register for this case?