INDIANAPOLIS — Sept. 22 update: Since 13News originally shared Brian's story, 500 donors have signed up using his link at Be the Match. Brian has still not found his perfect match, but the more people — especially Black people — who join the registry, the better chance he has.
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Original story:
An Indianapolis 10-year-old needs your help.
Brian Peguese needs a bone marrow transplant to help him in his fight against leukemia.
"My baby is a silly baby," said Juanita Perkins, Brian's mom. "You know, he's just a playful baby. He likes to have fun, be around kids, his video games — he loves his video games."
Brian's favorite games are pretty standard for a 10-year-old boy.
"I like 'Fortnite,' 'Mario Sonic Olympics,' and 'Mario Party,'" Brian said.
Brian Perkins
Last year, Brian was diagnosed with leukemia for the first time.
"He was 9 years old [and was diagnosed] two weeks before his birthday," Juanita said. "It's kind of, just heartbreaking."
Brian was in remission, but the leukemia is back.
The next step for him in his fight is a bone marrow transplant, but no one in his family is a match.
According to Be The Match, the likelihood of finding a perfect match for people of color is much lower than for white patients. Black people have a 23 percent chance of finding a perfect match, compared to a 77 percent chance for white patients.
Juanita is urging Black people to get on the donor list to increase the likelihood of her son finding a perfect match.
"It's so easy," she said. "You register, you order the kit, you swab both sides for a few seconds and just send it off. Everything is free — registering is free, and donating is free."
Click here to register, and follow along Brian's journey here.