Baby girl desperately in need of bone marrow transplant
Donor recruitment drive held tomorrow at Ralphs
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

Eight-month-old Hailey Joy Kent

When Hailey Joy and Ryan Kent were born almost nine months ago, the Kent family was overjoyed. After several miscarriages, Maria and Rick were blessed with fraternal twins through a surrogate.

But just four months later, the family's celebration was put on hold. During a hospital visit for a high fever, Hailey Joy was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL. She started chemotherapy the next day.

After a few months of remission, more leukemia cells were found last month, and the Kents were told a bonemarrow transplant may be in order. Unfortunately, no one in Hailey Joy's family, including her twin brother or 20-year-old sister, is a match.

Tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a donor-recruitment drive will be held at Ralphs at 2726 E. Los Angeles Ave. The next local event is May 12 at the Simi Valley Street Fair on Cochran Avenue.

Hailey Joy is also getting help from the actor friends she's already made in her short life. Before Hailey Joy was diagnosed, the twins appeared in episodes of "Grey's Anatomy," "Medium" and "Standoff." Their agent also represents child actors on the daytime soap opera "General Hospital," so a July 13 luau has been arranged to raise money and screen potential marrow donors.

For more information about the event, visit ghkidsevent.tripod.com.

About 70 percent of bloodcancer patients rely on an unrelated donor. The test consists of a cheek swab and a medical questionnaire. Hailey Joy also needs rare O-negative blood.

For more information, visit The National Marrow Donor Program's website at www.marrow.org.

To RSVP for one of the drives, call Amber McCarty of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at (805) 2017150 or email amber.mccarty@lls.org.

Because of a lack of funding to do the tests, some volunteers may be asked to provide a $52 donation to the National Marrow Donor Program, said McCarty, campaign manager for the Ventura County Leukemia & Lymphoma.

Showing up early is a good way of avoiding the fee, she said.