OLATHE, Kan. — An Olathe family is holding a bone marrow drive on March 23, in an effort to find their daughter a match.
Emma Hall is an energetic nine-year-old who loves to play games on her Kindle and jump on the trampoline.
But over the last couple of months, her life has changed. Emma isn't able to be as active since she has been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia.
Aplastic Anemia is a rare disease that can be deadly if it's not treated properly.
Emma is in need of a bone marrow transplant.
"You're trying to find a needle in a haystack there's all these different things that have to line up perfectly," said Alisa Hall, Emma's mother.
Typically, doctors will test siblings to see if they are a match for a bone marrow transplant. Emma was adopted, so her two bigger brothers are not a match.
According to bone marrow experts, there are thousands of donors on the bone marrow registry list. Most of these donors are Caucasian. However, the number of minority donors is comparatively low, which makes it harder for Emma to find a match.
"She's an important part of our world. And so you do anything... you'll do anything," said Hall.
On March 23 from from 1 to 4 p.m. Emma's family is throwing a donation drive at Life Mission Church in Kansas City, Kansas. (2400 N. 81st St, Kansas City, Kansas)
The goal is to get people signed up on the donor list and hopefully find a match for Emma and others.
The process is simple and requires a quick swab of the mouth. Donors have to be at least 18-years-old and in good health.
"You can't do everything for everybody but you can do something for someone. You can do something for someone, so go do it," said Hall.
If you cannot attend the event but would like to find out how you can get tested or join the registry, you can visit the DKMS website.
