Marrow Drive Tuesday in Coventry for RI Boy who has Touched the World

Members of the Hopkins Hill Fire Department are hosting a marrow drive registration on Tuesday for a local boy who has captured the hearts of people from around the glove.

The drive is from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hopkins Hill Fire Department at 1 Bestwick Trail, Coventry.

All you have to do is fill out a registration form and have the inside of your cheek swabbed. 

The hope is that 6-year-old Tyler Seddon of Pascoag finds a match for a bone marrow transplant. In 2010, he fought leukemia and in 2012, was considered cancer free. But in November of 2013, there was a string of bad headaches and his mother took him to the hospital. Blood tests showed that the cancer had come back.

After spending more than 40 days in the hospital, Tyler came home and in the weeks since, he's become the center of a global campaign to make his upcoming birthday on March 6 something special.

At the same time, he's raising awareness about the need for bone marrow donors and participants in the marrow registry. 

It started with his mothers humble request for a few cards from firefighters and police officers on Facebook. He loves anything to do with firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement, the military. He loves cars, motorcycles. A few cards would be nice, she said.

Word spread and it didn't take long for the cards to start pouring in. Today, Tyler Seddon's story has been shared all over the world. The Facebook group his mother started now has almost 20,000 members and posts from police officers and firefighters are appearing almost by the minute. 

And on Thursday, Tyler is going to get a lot more than just cards. A huge contingency of first responders is planning to arrive, bringing gifts, care packages, and more. They'll bring fire trucks and police cars and a message from every corner of the world: we love you and we're proud of you for staying strong.

He will also be chief for a day in his home town of Burrillville 

Cards can be sent to Tyler Seddon, 96 South Main St., Pascoag RI 02859 or Tyler Seddon c/o CALVAO, P.O. Box 253, Framingham, MA, 01704.

You can also support Tyler by registering with the Bone Marrow Registry and “Be the Match!” Tyler still has no match for a lifesaving transplant. Even if you are not a match for Tyler, you could be the match for another child or adult who needs a lifesaving transplant.

http://bethematch.org/