Donors Hope to 'Be The Match' For Murrieta Boy

Vista Murrieta High School twins Aaron and Cody Piecukonis, 18, had never met 9-year-old Ricky Martinez before Saturday.

But that didn't stop them from trying to help save his life.

Ricky Martinez, 9, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia in August 2011 and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. 

The Piecukonis brothers, both star football players, were among the 126 community members who turned out Saturday at Murrieta Fire Station No. 4 to register with the Be The Match Foundation. The foundation's purpose is to find DNA matches for those in need of bone marrow transplants.

"It is not like you always have the opportunity to save someone's life," Aaron said. "Why not start now?"

Aaron said he has given blood and this was just another way to help.

"I feel great about it—ecstatic," said his brother, Cody. "It would be a great honor to save his life. Everybody deserves a second chance."

Ricky's parents, Oscar and Cynthia Martinez, were told by doctors their son had a 50-50 chance of survival. They want to make that 100 percent by finding a bone marrow match.

Ricky was hospitalized for two months. During that time, Oscar said doctors were unable to find a match for Ricky out of 21 million registered donors.

"I broke down at that point. I told the doctor, 'you know what? watch me,'" Oscar said. "He is my only son, I am not going to allow him to perish. I am going to give him a second chance at life."

Donors were already lined up when the donor drive kicked off 11 a.m. They were given a health questionnaire and then gave swabs of their DNA to be shipped off to the Be The Match registry. If they are not a match for Ricky, they could be a match for someone else.

When Ricky stopped by at about 1 p.m., he said it felt "good" to see how many folks had turned out. He's been nicknamed "Smiley" because of the ear-to-ear grin he always seems to have.

"I feel good because they are helping save other lives, beside me, and they are helping me too," Ricky said. "It just feels so good."

Kevin and Theresa Ohler found out about the drive from a flier sent home from their sons' school, E. Hale Curran Elementary School.

"I always wanted to be a donor, so I'm grateful to finally be able to do it," Theresa said. "We believe in organ donation. My 1 1/2-year-old nephew was in the hospital waiting for a heart and he passed away."

Others came because they had a personal connection with Ricky.

"I am excited to do this for him," said Betty Velasquez, who works as a secretary at Monte Vista Elementary School in Murrieta, where Ricky attended before he had to be home schooled.

Velasquez said she mentioned it to her family—husband William, son Jonathan, and daughter Jacqueline—and they all agreed to do it with her.

"I just want to save him," Velasquez said.

Donors had to be 18, so Vista Murrieta High School students who are 17 decided to chip in by volunteering at the drive. Friends Bryan Daley, Brittney Tiger and Megan Cline handed out registration forms as donors arrived.

"We felt we had to do something since we couldn't donate," Megan said.

Craig Harrington, Ricky's former baseball coach in the Murrieta Valley Pony Baseball League, helped organize the drive. He thanked Murrieta City Councilman Randon Lane and the city staff who arranged the use of the community room at the fire station; those who volunteered in various ways before, after and during the donor drive; and three Murrieta Starbucks for donating coffee and cookies.

He also thanked those who came out to register as donors. He said those who weren't able to attend Saturday's event but would still like to register as bone marrow donors can do so online at BETHEMATCH.org, and a cheek swab kit will be mailed to them. (If asked for a promo code, enter ricky2012.)

Most of all, Harrington said he admires the Martinez family.

"Their lives have been changed, and they have shown remarkable strength and courage throughout this ordeal," Harrington said.