NORFOLK, Va. — Scores of people showed up to help a Chesapeake mother try and save her 7-year-old son who was diagnosed with a rare cancer.
Cayden Addison has been fighting a rare form of Leukemia since 2020. Now, he needs a bone marrow transplant, but no one in his family is a match.
Tree Kelty, the owner of Soulfood Vegan, organized a drive at the Health and Wellness Expo to encourage people to get tested and register as possible donors in hopes of finding Cayden a match.
You can still submit tests for donors even after the event!
"We're hoping that with everyone that's coming in here today, they're being swabbed, that we hear some kind of good news," said Kelty. "Even if they don't match Cayden maybe they match someone. You never know."
Vincent Falzone was one of the people who signed up to be tested. He told 13News Now he felt this was a way to give back to his community.
"I saw a news story about a young man, a child, who needed a bone marrow transplant. I wanted to do my part and see if I'm a match," said Falzone.
NDMP, formerly known as Be The Match, teamed up with Kelty to organize the drive. The organization helps connect people with bone marrow donors.
Registering as a possible bone marrow donor could help Cayden and thousands of other people across the country. However, organizers encourage those considering donating to do their research and make sure it's right for them.
"This is a huge decision. But it's a huge decision that can actually save someone's life and be the cure to cancer," said Rayshawn Graves with NDMP.
It takes four to six weeks to receive results from the test swab. NDMP will notify individuals who are a donor match, otherwise, donors will be placed on a list to help future patients.
Individuals considering donating must be 18 years or older.