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Hundreds of people gathered for a block party in an effort to find a blood stem cell donor to save Clementine Blackham’s life.The only cure for the 8-month-old is a blood stem cell transplant.People from all over the Pittsburgh region registered to be a donor Sunday.“We saw it advertised, and think it’s important because it’s really easy to do to just come and check and see if we are a match,” Hannah Luff said.“There’s pictures of a cute baby all over the place. My cousin actually needed bone marrow when she was real young, like six or something, so it kind of rings close to home,” Christopher Luff said.The Blackham family teamed up with DKMS, the world’s largest blood stem cell donor center, to host “Clementine’s Block Party” at The Block Northway in Ross Township.Anyone between the ages of 18 to 55 in good health can register, and the community did not disappoint with tables full of people getting swabbed.The event featured fire trucks, music and more than 55 vendors. It was a day that gave Clementine’s family hope.“We are celebrating Clementine’s life, and we are on a search to find a perfect bone marrow donor…It’s amazing. It’s really awesome to watch your community surround your family,” Clementine’s mother, Tanner Blackham said.Clementine is one of ten children and the first female to be diagnosed with a specific rare gene mutation.“Clementine was recently diagnosed with a gene mutation in her TLR8 gene, and she will go into bone marrow failure if she does not get a transplant of a perfect match,” Blackham said.“It’s incredible, and as a nurse practitioner, I feel like I want to help in some way so I came out to volunteer and do what I can,” volunteer Jessica Spragg said.Donors will stay in the registry until they are 61 years old, meaning you can get called at any time.“This has been a real community effort, and it’s really, really great to know that I am part of a community that supports stuff like this,” Spragg said. “If something comes along one day, we will be able to help out,” Christopher Luff said.For more information on how to register, click here.
Hundreds of people gathered for a block party in an effort to find a blood stem cell donor to save Clementine Blackham’s life.
The only cure for the 8-month-old is a blood stem cell transplant.
People from all over the Pittsburgh region registered to be a donor Sunday.
“We saw it advertised, and think it’s important because it’s really easy to do to just come and check and see if we are a match,” Hannah Luff said.
“There’s pictures of a cute baby all over the place. My cousin actually needed bone marrow when she was real young, like six or something, so it kind of rings close to home,” Christopher Luff said.
The Blackham family teamed up with DKMS, the world’s largest blood stem cell donor center, to host “Clementine’s Block Party” at The Block Northway in Ross Township.
Anyone between the ages of 18 to 55 in good health can register, and the community did not disappoint with tables full of people getting swabbed.
The event featured fire trucks, music and more than 55 vendors. It was a day that gave Clementine’s family hope.
“We are celebrating Clementine’s life, and we are on a search to find a perfect bone marrow donor…It’s amazing. It’s really awesome to watch your community surround your family,” Clementine’s mother, Tanner Blackham said.
Clementine is one of ten children and the first female to be diagnosed with a specific rare gene mutation.
“Clementine was recently diagnosed with a gene mutation in her TLR8 gene, and she will go into bone marrow failure if she does not get a transplant of a perfect match,” Blackham said.
“It’s incredible, and as a nurse practitioner, I feel like I want to help in some way so I came out to volunteer and do what I can,” volunteer Jessica Spragg said.
Donors will stay in the registry until they are 61 years old, meaning you can get called at any time.
“This has been a real community effort, and it’s really, really great to know that I am part of a community that supports stuff like this,” Spragg said.
“If something comes along one day, we will be able to help out,” Christopher Luff said.
For more information on how to register, click here.
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