Bone marrow drive planned to help Kailua-Kona teen
Be The Match Registry will hold bone marrow donor drives to find a compatible donor for a Kailua-Kona girl.
Destiny Alaverez Torres, a graduate of Kealakehe Intermediate School, recently had a liver transplant and needs to find a matching bone marrow donor to save her life. She is Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese and Puerto Rican. Being of mixed ethnicity makes it hard for her to find a matching donor.
The drive is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Subway in Kona Commons, 74-5450 Makala Boulevard, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at KTA Superstore Puainako, 50 E.Puainako St., Hilo, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Suisan Co. Ltd, 93 Lihiwai St., Hilo.
Those interested in registering need to be between the ages of 18 and 44, meet certain health guidelines and be willing to donate to anyone in need of a bone marrow transplant. Registering is quick and painless. It takes about 10 minutes to fill out a form, answer a few health questions and complete the mouth cheek swab process. No blood is collected at bone marrow donor drives.
Kona Library Book Club meets
The Kona Library Book Club meets at 11 a.m. Tuesday on the lanai of the Kailua-Kona Library. The book for this month is “The Goddess of Small Victories” by Yannick Grannec, a historical novel delving into the brilliant mathematical genius, Kurt Gödel. Sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, Kona, light refreshments are served and new members are welcome.