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Family organizes donor drive for Tigard boy with leukemia

12:48 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 19, 2008

By TERESA BLACKMAN, kgw.com Staff

TIGARD, Ore. – A Tigard family is hoping a party on Saturday will bring attention to the plight of their young son, who desperately needs a bone marrow donor.

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Three-year-old Liam McNassar in a photo from his family.

Three-year-old Liam McNassar was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia last May. And while there is a massive database of 11 million bone marrow donors across the country, amazingly, none of them match Liam’s DNA. Making matters even more dire, Liam has a rare chromosomal disorder which limits the success of chemotherapy treatment alone.

Doctors told the family that if Liam can get a transplant by early September, it will increase his chance of surviving by about 70 percent.

So family and friends organized a fundraiser and bone marrow donor drive for August 23rd, from noon to 2 p.m. at Ethos Music Center, located at 10 N Killingsworth Street in Portland. At the event, there will be face painting and performers for kids, hot dogs and much more. But most importantly, people will be on hand to show supporters how they can be added to the national bone marrow registry.

Slideshow: Photos of Liam & his family

Lisette and Brendan McNassar are hoping that once more people get tested and then added to the National Bone Marrow Registry, it will increasing the chance that doctors will find a donor for Liam.

 More: Read family blog about Liam McNassar

If a match is found, the McNassars said donoting marrow is as easy as donating blood, it just takes a while longer.

 Background: How Liam was diagnosed

Little Liam will turn four on August 27th. His family is hoping and praying a donor will be found by his birthday to give him a life-saving gift.

Anyone interested in making a contribution that would be used toward medical expenses can go to any Washington Mutual Branch and ask about the Liam McNassar Fund.

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