Albuquerque teen desperate for bone marrow donor

 UPDATED 7:27 AM MST Feb 13, 2013

A 16-year-old and his family are desperate for help and hosting an event that could save his life Wednesday.

It's called the "Be the Match" event and it is a massive search to find a person who would match for a bone marrow transplant.

Darius Grayhall was diagnosed in November with aplastic anemia, a rare but serious disease, which essentially means he has no immune system. His blood counts are extremely low and the only way to save his life will be with a bone marrow transplant. Grayhall's family members weren't matches so they're hoping for a miracle. Only one in 20,000 people will qualify as a donor.

Grayhall said his life has turned upside-down since being diagnosed. He can't have friends over, he can't go outside without a mask, he can't eat certain foods and he can't go to school all because of the exposure to bacteria.

Grayhall's mother, Kimberly Hall, told Action 7 News she is terrified. She is hoping the event on Wednesday will give them some hope.

"Be the Match" will be from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the GREAT Academy on San Mateo. To see if a person is a match, nurses will swab the inside of a person's cheek. Professionals will also be on hand to provide more information about the process of being a donor.

Doctors say there is little risk to those who donate bone marrow.

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