Beaver Falls, PA –DiMantae Bronaugh, a running back from Aliquippa was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, back in August of 2015. Since then, he has been courageously battling the cancer but recently he finds himself in need of a bone marrow donation.
Geneva football’s assistant coach Jeff Brunton knows DiMantae beyond reading his story in the newspaper. “I coached him when was younger at Hopewell before he moved to Aliquippa,” explains coach Brunton.
Coach Brunton brought the need before the Geneva football program and they responded with haste. On Friday, November 11 the Golden Tornadoes will be at Reeves Field during the Rochester vs Imani Christian postseason game. This time, the GTs won’t be at their beloved field to play, practice or watch the game as fans. Instead, Geneva football student-athletes will be hosting a bone marrow donor registration drive.
At the registration table, those who would like to learn more and help DiMantae and others battling blood cancer, will be asked to take a swab from the right and left check inside the mouth.
“It takes three minutes,” explains coach Brunton.
The swab is then submitted to the DKMS organization and processed to the donation center.
“You might not be a match for him but you might be a match for somebody. Especially, since only 7% of the national registry is African American. So, when a black kid gets cancer or leukemia or something, it is so much harder for them to find a match simply because there are not many donors registered. That’s something that just needs to improve.”
“That way I did it,” says freshman Geneva running back Kahlil Caracter.
“We have to raise awareness and get people involved and willing to donate,” continues coach Brunton, explaining the donation process. “It is tissue that grows back. You are going to get the bone marrow back in your body just like giving blood. It is a little more involved but it is similar.
“It’s not going to take your life to save his,” says Kahlil. “I just want to help.”
“It’s a sad situation,” says sophomore linebacker Skyler Cron. “I knew him from playing against him when we were younger. We used to play sand football together all the time.”
For those who do not know DiMantae personally or don’t know someone with Blood Cancer, with great compassion Skyler says, “Imagine it being someone you knew or even you.”
“Blood cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths and kills more children than any other disease in the United States. When chemotherapy can’t beat it, a bone marrow transplant may be a patient’s best hope for survival. Only half of those in need of a transplant are able to get one,” according to the DKMS webpage.
Visit Geneva football Friday night at the registration table during the game to find out more and start the donation process. For those not attending the game or would like to learn more facts about blood cancer, get swabbed and get involved visit the official website online at dkms.org
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