Dallas teen who inspired North Texans to register for bone marrow donations finds match

DALLAS - A North Texas teen who inspired thousands to get registered as potential blood stem cell donors found a match and is now recovering from the transplant. 

The majority of blood cancer patients can only find exact matches among strangers. But in Pike Petersen's case, the match turned out to be close to home: his own brother.

But six out of 10 blood cancer patients never find a match. The main reason is there are not enough people registered to be donors. Pike's story is helping to change that. 

Pike was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when he was 13 years old after feeling bad at a summer camp. He spoke with FOX 4 in August.

Now 14 years old, it was harder for Pike to speak to FOX 4 on Thursday, but he did gather the strength to express his thankfulness. 

While Pike's two sisters were not matches, Philip Petersen, a 21-year-old senior at Oklahoma State, plans to use his hero status when his little brother gets to feeling better. 

"I'll kind of get to hold it over his head for a little bit and just say, ‘I saved your life,’" Philip said.

FOX 4's Chip Waggoner once taught Pike's Sunday school class at Park Cities Baptist, where 1,200 people were swabbed to see if they might be a match. 

Amy Roseman is managing director for the nonprofit, Earl Young's Team.

"With Pike's willingness to share his story, hopefully we are going to change the odds," she said.

Through the donor drives for Pike, three people were identified as matches for others in need. 

"All three have said, ‘Yes, I am in,’" Roseman said.

Dr. Erika Lopez-Bertiery is a pediatric oncologist with Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas. She says Pike may be able to go home next month. 

"It will be a few weeks before he starts to feel better again," she said.

And in a few months, Pike will hopefully be able to get back to the activities he loves. 

"Pike represents the reason we come into this field, why we do what we do," Lopez-Bertiery said.

"The God with us on the mountain top is the same God with us in the valley," said Pike’s dad, Paul Petersen. "We are thankful this Christmas we get to celebrate that."

LINKS:
http://www.dkms.org/GetTypedforPike
http://www.earlyoungsteam.org/