Family seeks life-saving marrow match for Phila. man
NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA -- A Northeast Philadelphia family is hoping to find a hero, the person with bone marrow to match a young father.
Paul Amaro was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer.
It's left him hospitalized, struggling to find strength for each day.
Doctors at Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center in New York will do a bone marrow transplant - if a match for Amaro can be found.
This Sunday, Amaro's friends and family will hold a drive to find donors - possibly for him, possibly for someone else in need.
The drive will be held between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Philadelphia Portuguese Club, at 2019 Rhawn Street in Northeast Philadelphia.
Testing is simple; it just takes 1 cheek swab.
Ideal donors would be between 18 and 44 years of age, but all adults are welcome.
The Amaro family is hoping for a good turnout from the area's Portuguese community to increase the number of donors of that ethnic group in the national pool.
Amaro and his wife Sandra emigrated from Portugal as children and grew up in Philadelphia's tight-knit Portuguese community.
If you have any questions about the donor drive, please contact: Elsa Martins (267)312-2260 or Paula Santos (215)805-1974
A $5.00 donation can also be made to the BETHEMATCH.com organization.
The Amaro's close friend Ana Sousa Fernandes has also established a GoFundMe page to pay for what insurance won't cover during the marrow transplant.
