By Marley Malanfant/se news editor
TR students can learn about their health and help a child with a rare blood disorder Sept. 1 until 3 p.m.
The health fair runs 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in TRTR Action A, B and C and the TRTR Main Street. Various vendors will provide health information and free screenings.
Dr. Arthur Eisenberg from the University of North Texas Health Science Center will speak about DNA and genetics at noon in the TRTR Energy Auditorium.
The national marrow donor registry and Harris mobile mammography will be on campus 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. in the Rotunda Circle in visitor parking.
A blood drive with Carter BloodCare, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Rotunda Circle, will benefit 13-year-old San Antonio native Dominic Mazziotta.
Mazziotta is currently the only child in the world with the rare blood disorder Kasabach–Merritt syndrome and disseminated intravascular coagulation. However, 38 adults also have the blood disorder. This rare disease causes tumors that eat away at blood cells.
Mazziotta, now 13, has lived with the disease for two years.
Carter BloodCare drive coordinator Alicia Todd said anyone who donates will help Mazziotta continue getting blood transfusions.
“For everyone that comes in and donates, $10 is credited to his account at the Methodist Children’s Hospital,” she said.
Mazziotta’s uncle Adrian Rodriguez is TR vice president of student development services.
Rodriguez said he first heard about his nephew’s disorder after moving to Texas.
“The first week in November is when I found out that my nephew had this rare blood disease,” he said. “I couldn’t even settle in. I went straight to San Antonio.”
Mazziotta has a black belt in karate, likes to skateboard and plays baseball.
Rodriguez said the scariest part about watching his nephew’s therapy was that doctors weren’t sure of the child’s condition.
“It’s a scary thing to hear that doctors were hoping it was cancer,” he said. “Cancer can be slowed down, but there is no cure for this disease.”
Rodriguez said that Mazziotta has gone through more surgeries than most adults go through.
“They took out his appendix,” he said. “He’s gone through weekly chemotherapy and many blood transfusions.”
TR Campus coordinator of health services Veronica Warrior said Mazziotta got to accomplish his long-time goal of meeting the New York Yankees.
“He got to meet his heroes like A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera,” she said. “So that was definitely a bright spot for him.”
