Amare is 14 years old and battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). To defeat AML and recover his health, doctors have recommended a peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant from a donor who shares his same tissue type. We are urgently seeking donors to be tested to learn if they are a match for Amare, or another patient in need.
In May 2022, his mother Sophia, who works in health care, noticed that Amare was losing his energy and had no interest in his favorite activities, or even in playing with his brother. Sophia had previous experience with leukemia, as one of her closest childhood friends contracted it when they were teens, but did not survive.
When Amare complained of aches in his side and back and developed a rash, she had familiarity with those symptoms and immediately called their pediatrician, who, after a few tests, sent the family to the emergency room. Amare received emergency blood and platelet transfusions, and was diagnosed with AML on May 18, and admitted to the hospital two days later.
Amare has received two rounds of chemotherapy and has more to go, but because of the genetic makeup of the leukemia, his doctors have recommended a transplant as his best hope of a cure.
Amare loves his home city of Philadelphia and is particularly proud of his school, which he has attended since pre-K. He recently graduated 8th grade as valedictorian of his class. Because he was in the hospital, a special graduation ceremony was held where Amare could participate via Zoom and was projected onto the school's huge scoreboard, and his best friend, who was the salutatorian, read his speech for him.
In addition to being very focused on academics, Amare is a big Sixers and Eagles fan, and he loves playing both basketball and football with his brother and their friends. He has a sister who is 12, and his little brother is 10.
He's an Xbox kid – NBA 2K is his favorite Xbox game. He loves and cares for his family. Music is Amare's therapy.
Everyone who has ever met Amare says that he's an old soul because he has been so articulate from an early age. Even in pre-K the upper school principal called him "Mr. Future President" due to his thoughtfulness and ability to converse with adults.
We are actively searching for Amare's matching donor, and that lifesaving hero may be you!
All it takes is a swab of your cheek to find out if you are a match for Amare or another patient in need. Amare’s best chance of a match is with someone who shares his genetic heritage and is of combined Hispanic and African American ancestry.
If you are of African American or Hispanic ancestry, please join the registry today.
Our goal is to help this incredible young man beat this diagnosis, start high school, and return to a normal life.