Donor drive scheduled for November 9
Earlier this year, life seemed perfect for the Hogan family in New Hyde Park. They were selling their house and preparing to move, with a second child on the way, and Owen, their 2-year-old son, was as energetic and happy as any average youngster.
When Tim and Kathleen began to notice that Owen was developing bruises, they thought it was just him being a normal toddler. A trip to their doctor revealed a truth that turned the family’s life upside down…their son needed a bone marrow transplant. Owen has been in and out of the hospital for the last six months and has undergone intensive treatment and multiple transfusions of blood cells and platelets.
“Four months ago, life was pretty good. We had a happy, healthy toddler and a new baby on the way. Then, after bringing Owen to the hospital we received the devastating news that he had Severe Aplastic Anemia,” said Owen’s father
Tim, an FDNY Firefighter. “As he battles this life-threatening disease, we learned that he will need a bone marrow transplant to survive. As of now, we know there is no available match for Owen but we remain hopeful that in spreading the word, the registry will continue to grow, and a match for Owen will be found.”
The Hogan family and Delete Blood Cancer have teamed up with the Wednesday Mothers Club in Floral Park to find potential bone marrow donors for Owen and the thousands of other patients who are searching for a match. Owen currently has no match.
Owen’s donor drive will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Floral Park Village Hall at 1 Floral Boulevard in Floral Park.
Every day, thousands of patients search for a bone marrow donor match. Only four out of 10 patients receive a transplant.
“I lost my mother to leukemia when I was 14,” stated Katharina Harf, co-founder of Delete Blood Cancer, “and I have made it my mission to recruit more donors so that other families don’t have to go through the pain we did. We need your help so we can save more
lives.”
For more information, go to aheroforowen.com
