Are you Dereck’s lifesaving match? Order your swab kit and find out if you are his hero! 

Dereck Boles is 26 years old and battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). To defeat ALL 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 Dereck, or another patient in need. 

In February 2022, Dereck was experiencing sharp pains in his chest that spread over time. Two trips to the emergency room were unable to find a cause, but in March his physician ordered extensive blood tests, which showed not only was Dereck suffering from diabetes, he was also battling leukemia. After being admitted to the hospital they discovered it was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and doctors recommended a transplant as his best chance for a cure. 

Dereck has a loving family, and is not only the father of a beautiful little girl, he has a baby boy on the way. 

He attended Boise State University, the University of Arizona, and Coffeyville Community College, and played football for all three schools, where he was known by the hashtag #9inez. Dereck graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in General Studies, Social Behavior and Human Understanding. Recently, he has been busy starting up his own residential and commercial cleaning business. 

We are actively searching for Dereck'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 Dereck or another patient in need. Dereck’s best chance of a match is with someone who shares his African American genetic heritage.  

If you are of African American ancestry, please join the registry today.  

Our goal is to help this incredible young man beat this diagnosis, be there to raise his children, and open his new business successfully.

Please note there is no cost to donate, and every donor's personal and medical information is kept strictly confidential by Gift of Life.

How you can help 

• Join the registry! Click on the blue "Join Registry" button to the right of Dereck's picture. 
  • Donors in general good health between 18 and 35 years old may join the registry. Donors over the age of 35 can also join, but we ask that you to please donate $60 to offset the lab fees – Click here to learn why.  
  • Eighty percent of donors requested by transplant centers are 18 to 35 years old for medical reasons – Click here to learn why Age Matters.
  • Donors can remain in the registry until their 61st birthday – Click here to learn why the registry has an Age Limit.
  • Certain medical conditions may mean you are not able to join the registry or donate – Click here to check the Conditions List. If you're not sure, a health history questionnaire is part of the registration process.
• Sponsor a swab kit. Click on the orange "Give to My Circle" button. Lab processing of every kit costs $60. Your contribution will help add new donors to the registry, who may be a match for Dereck or another patient. 
• Spread the word. Use the social media links to the right to share Dereck's story in your Facebook and Twitter account. The more people who order a swab kit and join the registry, the faster Dereck will find a donor. Use the hashtag #9inez.

#9inez