West Orange 2nd Grader Needs Bone Marrow Donor

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange second-grader Veronica DePauli may need a bone marrow transplant, her family says. But one of the most difficult challenges for DePauli, 7, isn’t the procedure itself… it’s finding a compatible donor.

Since last year, DePauli has struggled with the effects of a rare genetic bone disorder. She’s suffered from daily pain, a high risk of fractures, trouble walking and compromised vision. (Watch DePauli’s parents speak about her condition in the below video)

DePauli may need a bone marrow transplant, her family says. But because none of her relatives are a match, the procedure remains out of the tenacious seven-year-old’s grasp for now. And according to Montvale-based Community Blood Services (CBS), DePauli also faces an additional obstacle to finding a donor.

“For most individuals, a donor is most likely to come from within their own ethnic group,” CBS stated. “Because Veronica is Hispanic, she faces the challenge of Hispanic donors representing only about 10 percent of the global Be The Match bone marrow registry.”

• See related article: N.J. Nonprofit Says Minority Organ Donators Are Needed

Cheryl Bacigalupo, director of CBS's HLA Registry, called DePauli “an extremely courageous young lady.”

“By sharing her story, we hope to unite communities and organizations to find a donor that can save Veronica,” Bacigalupo said.

HERE’S HOW TO HELP

DePauli’s supporters will hold a donor registration drive and fundraiser at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, at the Inaugural Cornhole Tournament, Verona Community Center, 880 Bloomfield Ave., Verona.

There will also be blood drives in her benefit on the following dates:

• April 23 (Monday), Bayonne Fire Dept., 630 Avenue C, Bayonne, 3 to 7 p.m.
• April 30 (Monday), West Orange High School, 51 Conforti Avenue, West Orange, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• May 6 (Saturday), St. Michael’s RC Church, 172 Broadway, Newark, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on Veronica, marrow donation, or to learn how to host a drive, click here.

To join the online registry for Veronica or other patients searching for a match, click here.

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Photo courtesy of Community Blood Services

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