It’s personal: Bone marrow donors leading fundraiser for SETX Leukemia Foundation

PORT NECHES — A local couple seeking to add to a registry of potential bone marrow donors for leukemia patients and raise money for local families facing the disease are kicking off their first major fundraiser.

Eric and Kayla West of SETX Leukemia Foundation will hold their launch party and donor drive from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday on Port Neches Avenue from the area of Neches Brewing Company to Dallas Avenue.

There will be food trucks, refreshments, bounce houses, washer tournament, shopping/vendors and the organization will be signing people up for the stem cell donor registry on site. Entry is free.

Neches Brewing Company, 1108 Port Neches Ave.,is also pitching in with the event opening their doors for a $10 cover charge with proceeds going to the organization. They will have live music: Blake Sticker from 4 to 5 p.m., Ezra Pedraza from 5 to 7p.m., and Brody Bailey Band from 7 to 10 p.m.

In addition Neches Brewing will release a special beer for the event and there will be a raffle to name the new brew.

For more information on the organization go to setxleukemia./org

The backstory

Eric and Kayla West had no hesitation when they saw a booth seeking to add to the registry of potential bone marrow donors while at a concert in 2016.

The DKMS booth was asking for DNA samples, which are done by swabbing the inside of their cheeks.

Eric had lost a childhood friend named Gilbert DeJohn, 15, to leukemia when they were teens so the decision was easy.

In 2020 during the pandemic Kayla got a call saying she was a potential match.

After a series of blood work she learned she was a perfect match for a girl in Oklahoma. From there Kayla met the donor team at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston and the bone marrow transplant proceeded from there.

About a month later the girl, Miley, needed a boost so Kayla immediately provided her stem cells for a second donation to the girl.

In 2023 DKMS, an international nonprofit bone marrow donor center based in Germany that has offices in Texas, called again. This time it was to invite the West’s to meet Miley and her family at the first ever gala in New York City.

Kayla said getting to meet Miley and her family was emotional and that she’s grateful for it.

“Finally being able to wrap my arms around her and knowing she’s good, and ok and healthy. We built this amazing family friendship and keep in touch with each other,” Kayla said.  “We saw them again in July. It’s a bond we made forever. We talk on the phone, Facetime and keep in touch.”

About Gilbert

Gilbert Louis DeJohn and Eric West were best friends while students at St. Catherine of Siena catholic School.

DeJohn was a Port Arthur native and was a student at Kelly High School when he died. He had played Babe Ruth baseball in Nederland and Groves American League and was a member of the Southeast Texas Junior PGA.

DeJohn lost his battle with leukemia Nov. 7, 2000.

Eric West kept in contact with DeJohn’s father, Kim. Kim Dejohn, now deceased, wrote in 2020 on Facebook: “We’ve all heard the words “Never Forget!” So proud of Eric West’s wife Kayla. Eric & Gilbert were best friends and now Eric’s wife Kayla is a bone marrow donor for someone in desperate need. Please join the registry. Big Thanks to Kayla for always remembering and Eric for “Never Forgetting Gilbert” Love You Guys!!!”

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