TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) - Gabe is a seventeen year old who has battled and beat HLH, however recently he was diagnosed with leukemia and is in need of a blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant. Community members of Gabe's family are holding a bake sale, pumpkin contest and raffles to fund Gabe's cost of medical bills and travel expenses.

A DKMS drive was set up along with the bake sale at the Crab Orchard Veterinarians Services today to help find donors to give the gift of life to families just like Gabe's. All of the proceeds of the bake sale, contest and raffles will be given to Gabe's family.

'It's been a very stressful time for us but it's also been a very blessed time for us and I'm grateful for the outpouring from my community. My church family has been real big. My pastor and his wife and everybody involved at City on a Hill, I love you guys.

"I'm just grateful for everybody at Crab Orchard Vet Services and Honaker Animal Health for doing this for us and stepping up in a big way."

The process of becoming a potential donor for DKMS is simple. You get a swab kit and swab the inside of your cheeks. You fill out a paper with your contact info and from there you are registered into a database to see if you are a match with someone who needs stem cells or bone marrow.

"It means that we can not only help a family in the community but one of our own. Clifford works for our sister office in Honaker and it just means a lot to be able to reach out and help a family."

If you are interested in becoming a potential donor you can go to the DKMS website found here to get a donor kit: Register as a Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Donor | DKMS | DKMS

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Community members rally behind teen in need of transplant - WVVA TV