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Western Illinois' Jordan Veloz to donate bone marrow for infant
Jordan Veloz’s decision to sign up for the bone marrow registry will change the life of another.
According to the Associated Press, Veloz, a 20-year-old sophomore defensive lineman at Western Illinois, will provide a bone marrow transplant to “an infant suffering from a rare immune disorder.”
Veloz told the AP that he signed up last year when the “Get in the Game” drive – an initiative started by Villanova head coach Andrew Talley in 2008 – appeared on Western Illinois' campus.
Veloz, a native of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, said he was informed last month that he may be a match – a fact that was confirmed this month.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet, but I feel like I am just doing what I should do,” Veloz told the AP. “But there are times I stop and think, ‘Wow, it is all in my hands.’’
Veloz said the entire process of registering and having swabs taken from his mouth by a doctor took about 15-20 minutes to complete. After the swabs are taken, the DNA is put into a national registry for bone marrow, which can help patients with life-threatening diseases, including leukemia.
"You never know when you or someone you know will need help, and if you get a chance to help someone else, why wouldn't you?" Veloz said.
Veloz, who had eight tackles as a redshirt freshman last season, doesn’t know the family he will be helping, but said he hopes to receive updates on the child’s condition and to meet the family down the road.
His donation will take place "this summer."
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