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Luca’s Story:  A Perfect Match Could Save His Life

Luca doesn’t have any siblings yet, who would likely be his best possible match. Right now, his strongest potential donor is an 80% match, while his dad is a 50% match. The closer the match, the lower the risk of Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD)—a serious condition where the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s body. A perfect match is critical for Luca and other children fighting leukemia, giving them the best chance at a successful transplant and a healthier future.

How You Can Help

 We’ve created this page to make it easy for you to get involved. Below, you’ll find ways to:

  • Make a financial donation to help with Luca’s medical expenses.
  • Learn how you can join the bone marrow registry to give hope to Luca and others in need of a match.
  • Support Luca in non-monetary ways, like sharing his story or sending some words of encouragement.
  • Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us. Together, we can give Luca the strength and resources he needs to overcome this.

Join the Bone Marrow Donor Registry

https://www.nmdp.org/

  • Simple steps–
    • 1. Fill out an online form (2 minutes)
    • 2. Receive a swab kit
    • 3. Swab your cheek
    • 4. Mail back the swab kit
    • 5. Get matched
    • 6. Donate

FAQ about Donating

You can join the NMDP Registry℠ if you’re:

  • Between the ages of 18 and 40
  • A resident of the United States or one of its territories or freely associated states
  • Able to meet the medical guidelines

Good news! If you’ve registered with another organization in the U.S., you’re already on the donor registry managed by NMDP. We partner with several organizations to make sure we can have the widest reach possible, so you don’t have to register again. In fact, multiple registrations can harm instead of help because it could look like a patient has more matches than they actually do. If you’re unsure if you’re already on the registry, contact us at 1 (800) MARROW-2 or questions@nmdp.org.

There’s a lot of science behind matching donors and patients, but the key component is HLA, human leukocyte antigens. These are proteins found on cells in your body. Once we receive your cheek swabs, we test your DNA for these markers and add your genetic type, or HLA, to our database. Doctors search that database to find the best HLA matches for their patients. Doctors may also look at other donor criteria such as age, sex and past infections.

Once you’ve returned your swab kit, it’ll take 6 to 8 weeks to be added to the registry. After that, you could be called for a patient anytime: in five months, seven years or possibly never. If you’re between 18 and 35, you have a better chance of being matched. That’s because research has shown that cells from younger donors lead to better long-term survival for patients. Doctors also request donors in that age group 75% of the time.

Recovery time depends on the person and which of the two methods is used for donation.

The median time to full recovery from peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation (used 90% of the time) is one week, although many donors report being fully recovered within two days of donation. PBSC donors should be able to return to work, school and other activities the next day or as soon as they feel recovered.

While most people who donate via bone marrow donation (used 10% of the time) can return to work, school and other activities within one to seven days, the median time to full recovery is 21 days. (Median time is defined as the middle number in a range of numbers.)

In either case, donors should follow the advice given to them by the doctor at the apheresis center or collection center.

Thank you for visiting our page and for your support in Luca’s fight against acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Every contribution—whether it’s a donation, joining the bone marrow registry, or spreading the word—makes a huge difference in Luca’s journey toward recovery.