Boy is cancer free and helping others

Published 10:07 pm Thursday, January 14, 2010

EVERETT — Someone’s decision to get on the national bone marrow registry saved Turner Patterson’s life.

Now he wants to help somebody else.

The 12-year-old cancer survivor plans a special event to convince more people to sign up for the national bone marrow registry and give money to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The registry starts at 6 tonight at Comcast Arena. Following that, people can attend the Washington Stealth lacrosse match scheduled for 8 p.m. Turner was asked to drop the first ball of the match.

“Simply put, that transplant saved his life,” said Travis Patterson, Turner’s dad. “Without the thoughtfulness of a donor, my son would not be alive today.”

Turner beat leukemia twice.

He was born with a rare blood disease. After years of illness, painful chemotherapy treatments hadn’t stopped the acute lymphoblastic leukemia from spreading. A bone-marrow transplant three years ago did.

Turner is now a healthy kid who enjoys Legos and playing the drums. He also planned a toy drive this past Christmas for Seattle Children’s Hospital.

“He’s healthy, he’s on the right track,” Travis Patterson said.

Patterson wants people to know signing up for the bone marrow registry is as simple as a swab to the mouth with a Q-tip.

There will be T-shirts for sale to raise money and a donation jar.

Tickets to the game can be purchased through Comcast Arena. Travis Patterson also purchased tickets to the Stealth match and is selling them for slightly higher than face value to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The union that Patterson works for, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 191 in Everett, is helping with the event.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call Travis Patterson at 425-923-7743.

Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com.