Lani Kai hosts blood drive/bone marrow search
For five years, Kenny Conidaris has been dealing with severe aplastic anemia, a disease where the bone marrow stops making enough red and white blood cells and platelets for the body. Recently he was diagnosed with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a disease that can stem from aplastic anemia and occurs when abnormal blood-forming stem cells produce red blood cells with a defective protective layer.
Conidaris, a 17-year-old Estero High School student and son of Lani Kai’s Ken Condidaris, will be hoping for a bone marrow match at the fifth annual Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Search Saturday, July 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lani Kai on Fort Myers Beach.
According to Kenny’s father, the current treatment his son has to undergo is like putting tape on a hose that leaks-the tape could hold forever or the hose could explode. But, he remains optimistic.
“One bone marrow transplant could save Kenny’s life,” he said.
Patients with aplastic anemia are at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding.
“Many people want to be registered to donate blood marrow, but don’t know how,” said Nancy Hendrick, community relations coordinator for the Lee Memorial Blood Center. “That’s why we’re holding a bone marrow search and blood drive. We want to help increase community awareness of the need for blood and marrow donors, and it would be awesome if we could find a match.”
According to Lee Memorial Health System officials, Kenny is one of the more than 10,000 people each year with a life-threatening disease who could benefit from a marrow transplant. These tissue types are inherited, but 70 percent of patients do not have a matched donor in their family. Kenny is among that 70 percent and is relying on the National Marrow Donor Program to find a match.
Anyone age 18 to 60 who is willing to donate to any patient in need and meets the health guidelines can join the Bone Marrow Donor Program registry.
According to Hendrick, the process is much simpler than in the past and the majority of donations are done without surgery.
“Cells from a person’s mouth are collected with a cotton swab and analyzed to determine if that person is a match with any patient in the registry,” she said. “Donors never pay for donating and are never paid to donate.”
For more information on the Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Search, call the Lee Memorial BloodCenter at 334-5333. As in the past five years, you can expect food, prizes and fun at this event.
-Lee Memorial Health System Director of Public Affairs Karen Krieger and Public Affairs Specialist Pat Dolce contributed to the story.