holidays

11-Year-Old Boy With Autoimmune Disease Receives Christmas Cards and Potential Donors

The family of Alex Sims, an 11-year-old-boy with IPEX syndrome, is asking the public to send him Christmas cards to cheer him up

COTA for Team Alex S

If you love sending Christmas cards, there's a very special young man who would love to hear from you.

Alex Sims, 11, was diagnosed with IPEX syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease, and needs a bone marrow transplant.

His dad, Brandon, asked people on Facebook to send holiday cards to cheer Alex up. Brandon and Alex also hope that before you send one, you'll swab your cheek to see if you could be a match.

Donor screening involves a simple, through-the-mail cheek swab testing kit that can be acquired through the Be the Match website. The ideal donor is age 18 to 44, but donors through age 60 may be used in certain cases.

The Children's Organ Transplant Association, which helps children and young adults who need life-saving transplants, encourages people to share Alex's story on social media, volunteer to be a bone marrow donor, and donate to COTA.

Alex has received 200 cards so far.

If you would like to send Alex a card or find out if you are eligible to be a potential blood stem cell donor, visit the Children's Organ Transplant Association's website.

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