Kai Quinonez is like any 8-year-old boy.
He is active in sports, loves playing with the dogs and hanging out with his brother Klaus.
But that changed in October when he was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood ailment that affects one in a million people.
Kai is not alone in his fight against this rare ailment.
Keller Williams Realty, in cooperation with the Los Alamitos Police Officers Association, will be hosting a bone marrow drive with Be The Match, on March 26 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Be The Match is supplying the Bone Marrow Match Kits.
Long Beach Memorial is also hosting a blood drive in conjunction with the bone marrow drive.
“Officer Chris Karrer has been phenomenal in working with Be The Match and helping to get the bone marrow drive off the ground,” said Elaine Armogida, team leader at Keller Williams Realty Los Alamitos, where Kai’s dad Gus is an agent. “He heard about our raffle and volunteered to help in any way he could.”
Personnel from the Long Beach Police Department (part of the National Law Enforcement Cancer Support Foundation) will also lend a hand to help with the bone marrow drive.
“We are also thankful for the help from Commander Josef Levy, from the Long Beach Police Department,” said Armogida. “He is the President of the foundation and has offered to help where needed.” Levy himself is a cancer survivor.
The Be The Match Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need, when they need it.
“But the local community has rallied around to help Kai’s family try to deal with not only taking care of Kai but to help with the staggering medical costs,” said Armogida. “The agents at Keller Williams have been raffling off tickets for people to win an iPad and have the bone marrow drive in an effort to help Kai.” “Getting the bone marrow sample is very easy,” said Armogida. “They do a simple swab on the inside of your cheek and it’s done.”
Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. The condition involves both aplasia and anemia. Typically, anemia refers to low red blood cell counts, but aplastic anemia patients have lower counts of all three blood cell types: red blood cells white blood cells and platelets termed pancytopenia.
Kai is undergoing two, six-month rounds of chemotherapy and weekly transfusions of blood and platelets.
He recently had to return to the hospital after getting an infection.
For more information on helping Kai or purchasing a raffle ticket, call Elaine Armogida at (562) 626-8623.
To reach Officer Josef Levy please e-mail him at josef.levy@longbeach.gov. To reach Officer Karrer, e-mail him at ckarrer@losalpoa.com.
