Bone Marrow Drive for Local Boy Draws a Crowd

It takes a village to raise a child, and on Wednesday, July 20, many members of that proverbial village made their way to Samuel Adams Brewery in Breinigsville to help , a 14-year-old Saucon Valley student who is battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Angel has been fighting the disease for four years and relapsed in May. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy but urgently needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. No one in his family is a match for him, so the assistance of the was sought.

The bone marrow registry drive organized by Be A Match at the Upper Macungie brew pub drew a steady stream of supporters throughout the day.

By the end of the day, more than 160 people had signed up for the registry, which uses genetic material swabbed from the inside the mouth to match potential donors with transplant patients.

Many others showed up to lend their support but found out they were not eligible to register. Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 64 and other restrictions apply.

The registry drive was sponsored by in support of Angel’s family. Angel's father, Jose Mojica, is an employee at the establishment.

Jessica Paar, Senior Public Relations Manager for Samuel Adams Brewery, flew in from Boston to attend the registry and said that it was important for the company to show support for one of its own.

“Our employee motivated us to do this," she said. "What Jose is going through is impacting part of our Samuel Adams Family.”

Brewery Director Sal Tortora said he was pleased by the turnout.

“It is a great event, everyone is here to support Jose," he said. "He is part of our family."

The strong bonds among employees were evident all afternoon, as workers broke away from their duties or made a special point of coming in to sign up as potential bone marrow donors.

Members of the community at large also came to pay it forward and help a child in need.

Some were close friends of the family, including staff from St. Luke’s Hospital, where Angel and his family have made a big impression while he has been undergoing treatment.

Others made the trip from the . Parents and teachers attended the drive to support their child’s friend, classmate or student.

Teachers Robin Peppenheimer and Robert Kachmar said they were happy to see Angel, and spoke of plans for a fundraiser to purchase a laptop computer, so he can keep up with his studies while at home and in the hospital.

For those who were unable to attend the July 20 registry, there will be another opportunity to register as a potential donor on Sunday, Aug. 14 from 10am to 1pm at Holy Infancy Church, 312 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem. For additional information, email Sarah Brooks Horan at sbrooks@nmdp.org.

A to help Angel and his family has also been scheduled for Aug. 13 at on Easton Road in the township.

The fundraiser will be held from 9am to 3pm and will include food, drinks, raffle items and more. More information is available on the Facebook page set up for the event: Fundraiser for Angel Mojica.