York Town News
Approximately 500 people volunteer to become donors at event for local teen
By Jennifer L. Saunders
Hundreds of area residents came out to support one of our own, York High School senior Jason Durkin, by volunteering to join the national bone marrow registry in the hope of finding a match for Jason, who is battling a life-threatening disease and requires a transplant. At the local bone marrow drive on Jan. 10, an estimated 500 people volunteered to join the registry to help people like Jason around the world.
Photo by Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK VILLAGE - When the doors opened at 4 p.m. the line was already forming, with cars parked all along York Street as residents and visitors alike came out in droves to support a local teen's fight against a life-threatening disease.
The event is believed to be York's first bone marrow drive in years - and possibly ever - and was held in honor of York High School senior Jason Durkin last Wednesday, Jan. 10, at the First Parish Church.
The drive continued for about four hours, and throughout that time, the lines continually formed and moved through Fellowship Hall as hundreds of York School Department personnel, students, town officials and employees and people of all ages from near and far came forward to be screened to see if they might be a match for Jason or another child or adult awaiting a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
Dan Ramus of York Kiwanis, who was instrumental in organizing the event with Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Durkin family, said at the event that the turnout was more than he ever expected.
Jason's aunt, Elizabeth Durkin, one of many family members and friends, including a contingent of Jason's York High School classmates, assisting at the event, said the family was touched to see so many people coming out to support the effort.
"I think it's fantastic," she said. "We were really amazed to see how many people volunteered. It's a big credit to this community that so many people would come out to help."
Jason was diagnosed recently with aplastic anemia, a disease that occurs when bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. The only cure is a bone marrow transplant.
According to statistics compiled by Dana Farber, more than 25,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year with disorders and life-threatening diseases that require treatment with a transplant from a matching bone marrow donor. However, 70 percent of those individuals - like Jason - are unable to find a suitable match within their own families.
Among those who volunteered to become donors at last week's event was local resident Suzanne Cyr, who said she had been considering joining the marrow registry for quite some time, and the effort to help Jason seemed the perfect opportunity.
"I'm here supporting a good cause," said Cyr, who was waiting in line with approximately 75 other potential donors shortly before 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
The potential donors - and the many volunteers who assisted with the screening process - were quick to say they were elated to see such a great turnout at the event.
York Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione was one of many school employees who volunteered to become donors at the event. He described the turnout for the event as inspirational.
On Monday, the Durkins announced that the current estimate indicates more than 500 people joined the donor registry as a result of last week's event.
"We don't have a match for Jason yet, but we are praying we will have one soon," Mike Durkin wrote Monday in an open letter to the town from the family, which continued, "... each of you who joined the donor registry gives us hope, which is a precious gift when you are battling a life-threatening illness. Words cannot begin to describe how touched we felt last Wednesday when we saw all of you come to support us. It makes us very thankful that we live in such a caring community."
For more on ways to help, visit the Dana Farber website at www.dana-farber.org/nmdp.
To read the full text of the Durkin family's letter, see our Editorial/Letters section.
