Family Seeks Bone Marrow Match for 10-Year-Old Evanston Kid With Leukemia

Family members are seeking a bone marrow donor for 10-year-old Julian Sims, a student at Dewey Elementary School who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. 

A drive will be held this Monday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Ryan Field, 1501 Central St., at the seventh floor stadium club. The Sims family is seeking donors to sign up for the national bone marrow registry, which helps match donors to patients in need.

Julian, who attends Dewey Elementary School, recently underwent an unsuccessful round of chemotherapy, and doctors are now planning a bone marrow transplant, according to his parents' donation page, hosted by Be the Match Foundation.

"When we ask Julian what he needs, he simply says he needs to be treated normally," his parents wrote. 'Treated like he was before this whole rotten adventure began; as a normal 10 year old boy = beginning to find his way in this great adventurous world. For him it’s sports, music, food and so many other things."

Willing donors need only do a cheek swab to find out whether they are a match for Julian, whose own family's marrow is not the right type. Donors who can't make it to the event at Ryan Field can join the registry online at http://join.marrow.org/SIMSTEAM.

"Since Julian and his brother were born it has been our dream to watch them grow, teach them to love, and help them to find their way," his parents wrote on Be the Match. "We’ve tried to raise Julian and his brother Miles with the belief that we are all here to help, and we try to live up to this ideal every day. Please join us in our quest to find a match for Julian and others in need of this miraculous gift we can each give.