Dover freshman seeking blood stem cell donor

DOVER PLAINS — Brian Rojas, of Dover Plains, and his family are seeking blood stem cell donors to aid in his fight against myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of disorders caused by deformed or malfunctioning blood cells.

A donor drive to search for eligible stem cell donors will be held Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Grand Ballroom on Westchester Avenue in Port Chester, New York.

The donor drive is a simple swab to find an eligible donor. According to DKMS, an international organization dedicated to fighting blood cancers and helping families find donors, 70% of patients suffering from blood-related illnesses rely on donors from outside their families. Minority populations are underrepresented in the donor pool. Hispanic patients like Rojas have a harder time finding eligible donors.

Anyone in good health — especially members of the hispanic community — between the age of 18 to 55 is encouraged to attend the donor drive March 8. Potential registrants will review medical eligibility, fill out a registration form, swab the insides of their cheeks, and then drop off their completed packet before leaving the drive.

Rojas is a freshman at Dover Plains high school where he is an honors student and active student athlete.

Rojas’s latest struggle with myelodysplastic syndromes is just the latest in a lifetime of dealing with illness. At four years old Rojas was diagnosed with a rare genetic brain disease and received gene therapy, allowing him a second chance at life.