Remission Spurs Bone Marrow Match Drive Ahead Of NMDP Night May 22, Urgent Call For More Latino Donors

Emery Ramos In Remission seeks donor Matches; NMDP Night Aims To Expand Latino Registry

USA: Emery Ramos, a 7-year-old from Kingsville whose leukemia is now in remission, remains in search of a bone marrow donor match that could enable a life-saving transplant. Her case illustrates a broader need: thousands of patients wait for compatible marrow or blood stem cell donors, and finding a match is heavily influenced by ethnicity.

Local organizers and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) are staging an outreach event for registrant sign-ups at the Corpus Christi Hooks game on May 22 at Whataburger Field. Emery will throw the first pitch at 6:30 p.m., and the event is designed to connect potential donors with patients and encourage on-the-spot registration; tickets are available at CChooks.com.

Registry diversity remains a central challenge. Hispanic and Latino donors make up only about 13% of the national registry, reducing the odds that many patients will find immunologically compatible donors. Prospective donors can also register online at NMDP.org; registrants receive a free cheek swab kit by mail used to determine tissue type for matching.

Physicians and patient advocates say every new registration can be decisive — sometimes the difference between pursuing a transplant now or waiting indefinitely. The May 22 event and online sign-ups are being promoted as immediate, practical steps the public can take to increase transplant options for Emery and thousands of others.

Video originally published on 2026-05-17 19:14:21