Mateo (Mathew)
Hello, my name is Mateo (Mathew) and I’m 2 months old. My name might not mean much to you but my story is the story of many children. And we all need help.
A few days ago the doctors told my parents that I suffered from a rare kind of leukemia. One thing I’ve noticed is that everybody gets scared when they hear this word.
I really don’t know much about medicine yet, but it looks like my cells have a problem and I’ll have to stay at the hospital having tests done until doctors find a donor: in Spain or elsewhere.
I’ve been told that a donor is a person who takes a simple blood test. With a few blood drops, doctors can search a global database to see if a donor’s cells match mine. If they do, they can call him and he or she can share some with me.
My older brother, Lucas, is 2 years old and he’s very brave. He wanted to be my donor and he took the blood test but his cells don’t match mine. My mother says this happens because we’re both very special and unique. And that’s why I need to find someone around the world as unique and special as I am to help me.
I thought this was going to be really easy, all it takes, after all, is a simple prick of a needle, the same as any simple blood test. It’s really only a tiny sting, over in less than a minute. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about after all the tests I’ve taken in just my first two months of life. Even my two-year old brother was brave enough to take the test and I’m sure it won’t hurt grown-ups!
Unfortunately, it seems that what I thought was really easy might not be so easy after all.
People take blood tests and donate blood all the time, but they don’t take bone marrow tests.
I think maybe that’s because the word “transplant” scares people.
This is why my family has launched this website. We want to show everyone how easy it can be to save many kids’ lives. To tell everyone that many children, like myself, need the chance to go down the tough road of treatment and live a normal life like other kids of their age. And we can’t do that unless people take the first small step with us: by taking a blood test and registering as bone marrow donors.
We want to grow up and learn many things. Not about doctors, hospitals and all that stuff: we want to learn about life, about how it feels to go to play to the park without being scared of every little virus. We want to play with kids our age. We want to play with our cousins, friends and family.
But we need your help.
So that’s it. This is my story. My name is Mateo, but my story is the same as that of John, Peter, Mary and many, many others. Every single one of us needs a donor to keep on living.
You may not have heard any story like mine before. But I hope I’ve helped you to know what you can do. For me and for many others.
—– Translation to Danish —-
How to become a donor in: (Click on your country)
Argentina. Brazil China Ceské Republique Colombia Denmark
España. France Germany Italy Luxembourg México Portugal UK Russia
Hi there, I am a Tunisian citizen living in France and I am a bone marrow donor. (My bone marrow is in the registry in Frane). If I am a match for Matthew, I would be very happy to help!
Dear Mateo/parents…I am the mother of a beautiful 23 year old daughter, who was stricken with Leukemia over 3 years ago and was in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant. She is going to be celebrating year #4 post transplant this October thanks to an unrelated doner that was found in the worldwide registry….. I do believe in miracles….Your precious boy will find his match…My thoughts and prayers are with you all…I understand how difficult this wait is.
0+
00352 621 275 274
Hola Mateo, I’m a 25 years old and a healthy woman, I would like to help. byv4988@gmail.com
Hello Maeo, hello parents, i would like to help you ! I’m linving in Belgium, you can contact me on my adress mail ludoprel@yahoo.fr Thank you.
I have become a member, waiting on my kit to come in. I am from the United States and from the state Louisiana
Hi Mateo. You really inspired me so I signed up to be on the donor list. I am just waiting to get my testing kit. You are so brave. Buena suerte Mateo! Love, Sarah from Connecticut, USA
bonjour je souhaiterai savoir comment faire pour savoir si je suis compatible et si oui comment faire pour effectuer cette greffe. vous pouvez me joindre par mail ou par téléphone. De tout mon cpoeur je vous souhaite de sauver votre ange.
I am a member of Be The Match and pray that I will be able to help someone some day. Stay stong little man! Many thoughts and prayers for you and your family.
hello! I am a French citizen and would like to know what to do to know if I can give my marrow to your son. Rgds
Hi Mateo. It really bothers me to see such innocence struggling with any problems such as yours. I would like to help you and become a donor.
I am praying Allmight Good to give satisfaction of the requirement of Mateo!!
I live in louisana and I would like to find out how to become a donor for Mathew?
Dear baby Mathew, we were told 1 Jan 2013 ,my son also has Leukemia> we were told 3 weeks ago he is in full remission and his intence chemo plan has come to a end…. he knows how you feel with all the needles and chemo! The Doctors will take care of you and i pray the Angels surround you an protect you while mom and dad are looking for a doner for you! hang in there little man – Angus just turned 17 on friday and he knows how you are feeling…. he like you also always smiled… you are special kids and everything will work out.
I’m a 27 year old mother of two girls and have been a member of the Be the Match Registry for 10 years. I wish I had money to donate or another way to help, I can only hope my marrow is a match ❤
I am a healthy girl from Iran with O- blood group. I really like that you, dear small Mateo, find a donor soon and I also will register and do the blood test to hopefully be a help for you or any other else.
my name is maria and get in touch so to become a donor…
can count on me at any time.
mina.emy@gmail.com
may Jesus Christ ‘s love be always on your life,amen.
take care, see ya!!!!
Hello Mateo, can we have your HLA typage so that we can compare and look for a compatible donor (I work in laborotory of immunology and want to help you that’s why I want to look for a donor within a list in my register) May Gpd help you and all persones suffering of cancer 🙂
I am sending you my prayer little angel. I know God is watching over you and your family and if I can help I will be happy to. I have been tested a few years ago and the way I understand it the results are on the be a doner list. You can reach me by email at cyj62@yahoo.com.
How can I donate? I live in Northern Ireland I would like to try and help.
I am a healthy woman with O+, & CMV Negative Blood-type. I am also on the donor registry since 2 years ago. I will be PRAYING for you and your family Mateo! I sincerely hope I will be a match for your bone marrow! I’ve sent you a couple of emails, but please reach me ANYTIME at stephaniegator@bellsouth.net. God Bless you all!!!!
Bonjour i Am french Sorry i not good speak english ! I write french ok ? Je disais que suis de tout cœur avec vous et si besoin de comptabilité suis A+ du groupe sanguin . Et bon courage aux parents qui vont subir des jours très durs … On pense à vous.
Hello every one, I would like to help you Mateo ! I’m from France, how could I know if I can give you my marrow ? You’re so brave ! Lot of love for you and your family
This has inspired me to get a blood test done and start donating. For matthew and all others who don’t deserve the cards they have been dealt. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to start donating. Cancer is evil and it makes me so angry. Its time I actively join the fight. I will pray every night for Matthew.
Better late then never, good for you.
Mateo, what is your blood type? If I can help you I would like to try
schlagwoman@gmail.com
Hello Mateo and familia, my name is Valerie and I want to help! I am from the USA and am registered with Be The Match (a website that helps find bone marrow matches). Please let me know what all I can do to help! My email is valerie.a.mccoy@gmail.com if you need to contact me!
Stay strong, stay brave, stay hopeful! ❤
Do you know how the process goes and who to contact, I am from Oklahoma. Thanks Cassie Also can you respond somehow that your email stands out from the rest of the comments on my email for mateo I am getting over a 100 email in one day. I can’t read them all. Again Thanks
Im interested in doing a blood test, email blancarz85@yahoo.com
Blanca Ramirez
Bonjour,
Vous pouvez vous rapprocher de l’EFS (Etablissement Français du Sang) le plus proche de chez vous, je pense qu’ils pourront vous orienter.
Vous pouvez aussi aller sur le site
http://www.dondemoelleosseuse.fr/
pour d’autres infos.
Cordialement,
Alexandre
Je viens de regarder les centres de référence pour le don du côté de Marseille et je n’en trouve pas dans la liste donnée sur la page “France” 😦 Du coup je n’arrive pas à voir quel est le centre le plus proche? Quelqu’un aurait-il cette information? Merci
Hey Mateo, much luck to you, be strong buddy. I am a Cameroonian (in Africa, I think you know) anyway I would have liked to give mine as it can help you. But I do not know if it’s possible here at, if it is said to mom and dad for giving me the address of the center and the procedure.
Still a lot of courage.
Groupe a+
Thanks to you all. I got the info I needed and will be calling. Cassie so Thanks but I have like 300 responses in 24 hour. God bless you and especially Mateo.
seems like there is no Asian countries listed on the donor’s list … how do we go about?
What a sweet little angel with a beautifull angelic smile.
The angels are apon you little Mathew… have no fear little one as God our saviour and also yours and is looking over you and will lift away your suffering and pain and heal your little body.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother the Virgin Mary. Amen !
I am a citizen of France and a registered bone marrow donor in the USA with DKMS. Do you have access to all the lists
of donors from the USA ?
Hi Matthew.. Im actually goin to register after i post this message to you. I am a mother of a 2 years old and a 4 month baby. I am very very sad that you have to go thru this at the ur early age. I hope that i will be a match for you or to anyone that needs my marrow..
for you parents keep praying and in time we will find a match for ur sweet little matthew. godbless and please keep us updated .
Emilyn from LOS ANGELES , CA
My husband just registered himself to the donor data base in Germany. How can we know if he is match for Mateo? If somebody can responds us.. thank you
Je suis francaise et je souhaite de tout coeur que votre petit garçon trouve un donneur compatible très rapidement. Pour ce faire, j’aimerai vous apporter mon soutien en me proposant d’être donneur pour votre petit garçon. J’habite Strasbourg et je n’ai pas trouvé de centre proche de chez moi figurant dans votre liste.
Hello,
my co worker and myself were so inspired by your story that we signed up to be donors and are waiting for our kits. My heart breaks for your family and I know there will be a donor out there for you.
hi there I’m a Filipina 26 yrs of age but I’m staying in UAE I just wanted to know how can I help and hoping that I’ll be the match you’re looking for. 🙂
How can I help? Can I be a donor if I just had a baby 6 months ago and am breastfeeding? I lieve in Italy. Where should I go?
I had a dream about a month ago of a friend whom has been passed away for awhile now, she passed of this very disease. I felt like she was telling me to donate in my dream. I shared this dream with my husbend and we have talked about signing up and I had no idea where to start, until I came acrross your webpage. I was able to sign up and now im waiting for my kit that is going to come with two swabs im so happy about this kit because i can sign up another friend or family member straight away. Im so sorry for what your going through and i want to help. My prayers to your son and family
Hi Mat, I lost my baby boy last year, he is 1 day old when god called him. Since then, I wouldn’t want other parents to feel the pain I felt. I want to help and I am hoping to be a match. However I’m from the Philippines so I don’t know where do I go. Please let me know other ways. Thanks. God bless you and your family.
By the way, I am a member of Grieving Fathers in Facebook, I’ll post your website there.
Dear Mat,
My thoughts are with you and the family. I live in Australia and was diagnosed with Leukaemia 18 years ago. After years of treatment I am grateful to be here and will happily spread the message about how important it is to be tested to be a Bone Marrow Donor. I have many friends who have been saved by Bone Marrow Transplants and I want as many people to know how important it is to join the registry – you can save someone’s life and give someone time with their family, time with friends, it is truly a life saving gift.
I will tell as many people as I can to sign up… thinking of you.
Bonjour à vous,
je vous invite à vous rapprocher très rapidement du Professeur Jean Hugues Dalle à l’Hôpital Robert Debré de Paris.
Il existe une nouvelle technique et notre enfant en à bénéficier. Sa leucémie avait aussi été détecté à la même période que votre enfant.
Courage, Prière et Patience.
Can WE know what s Mateo ‘ HLA type please !
How can I become a donor if I don’t live in Canada or USA? I live in Italy at the moment. I don’t speak the language and have no idea where to go .I am going to Switzerland in a month for 2 weeks. Where should I go for my blood tests?
Soy espanola, pero vivo en EEUU. Soy madre de un bebe de seis meses y un nino de dos anios. Como madre, puedo ponerme en vuestra piel. He intentado registrarme como donante, pero no se me permite por haber tenido una cesarea hace menos de 12 meses. Mi marido se va a registrar. Estare pendiente de las noticias sobre vuestro hijo. He difundido la informacion entre todos mis conocidos. Deseo con todo mi corazon que encontreis ese donante.
Bonjour ,
Ancien infirmier a la retraite , je suis très touché et ému du fabuleux courage que vous avez pour votre petit bout de choux ,
Je suis aussi très triste car je ne peux pas lui donner une greffe osseuse si par bonheur pour lui j’était compatible car …
J’ai 63 ans donc age dépassé pou un donneur ..
En étant sincèrement désolé .
Je vous et lui souhaite de tout mon coeur de trouver rapidement un ou une donneuse de greffe salvatrice .
Bonne chance et … Merci pour votre petit bout ..
Daniel
I would like to help. You can have my marrow if it’s a match. K400dzl@yahoo.com is where you can reach me.
Just registered to go and give blood and register as a bone marrow donor at the same time. As a father of 2 little girls I was truly touched by Mateo’s story and hope you can find a compatible donor as soon as possible. All the best to you and your family Mateo, I hope you can soon play with your friends and brother like any little boy should be able to!
Hi I will pray for Mateo, is your organisation’s global system linked to the Sunflower Foundation in South Africa or our blood banks, if South Africans donate blood samples there will they be tested for Mateo?
Hello Mateo and family, I am a 45 year old mother of two from Cambridgeshire, England. I will ring our doctors surgery this afternoon to arrange a blood test. I will share this on my Facebook page and hope some of my friends will do the same. I do believe you are going to make a huge difference to many people.
♥ blessing so deep and full of love for your precious little heart and life of our Savior Jesus Christ, I pray a lot
I embrace smaller
♥Marrow♥
As a mum of a 3 yr old and 1 yr old my heart aches for you little Mateo and your family. Just joined http://www.bethematch.org and waiting for my kit to arrive. I hope someone somewhere is a match including myself. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Sarah
Sending all my love and healing thoughts to you, little one. I would love to help. abv96@hotmail.com
Muchas gracias Mateo!! Con lo pequeñín que eres, y a cuantos niños y niñas en todo el mundo estás ayudando!! Eres un ejemplo para tantos y tantos. Dales muchos besos a tus papás,porque aunque ahora se están preocupando mucho, no van a tardar en llevarse una alegría tremenda. Y a tu hermanito también, que nos ha mostrado a todos que fácil es poder ayudarte a ti y a otros muchos niñ@s en todo el mundo. Muchos besos campeón, y otra vez…gracias!!