(WSVN) - A 31-year old father of three small children is battling an aggressive cancer, and he desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. So far, there has been no match and he is hoping for a miracle. The Nightteam’s Rosh Lowe tells you how you can help in the Lowedown.
Adam Krief: “He gives me a lot of strength, smiley little one.”
And on cue, 8-month-old Luca smiles at his father. His dad is 31-year-old Adam Krief, and Adam is running out of time.
Lior Ben-Shmuel, Adam’s cousin: “There’s no chance for him to live if he doesn’t get a donor match.”
In July, Adam was diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia and is currently being treated in Los Angeles.
Adam Krief: “As soon as you hear the words cancer or leukemia or chemo, your brain goes to a different place.”
The only hope for Adam is a bone marrow transplant. But he needs to find the right match. More than 25 million people are registered in an international data base. But Adam has not found one match.
Adam Krief: “I need to face the reality that the survival rate of this disease is not extremely high.”
A gut wrenching reality for a father of a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old.
Leah Krief, Adam’s wife: “He’s my kid’s dad, my best friend. He’s everything.”
And this story has an impact on South Florida. Most of Adam’s family lives on Miami Beach. In fact, you are going to see local events in our community where they are going to ask people to swab the insides of their mouths to see if they are a possible match for Adam and could save his life.
Leah Krief: “I’m focusing on, what I believe to be is, the kindness of people. I believe people want to help.”
The organization Gift of Life is helping Adam with events nationwide to find a match.
Robyn Malek: “Gift of Life’s mission is to build up the registry and get everyone possible swabbed.”
But so far, no luck.
Shlomi Ben-Shmuel: “Without health, you don’t have anything.”
The swabbing process takes 30 seconds. Your name is then put in a database. If you are a match, you are called.
Adam Krief: “The donations happen with just a specialized blood transfusion.”
If Adam does not find a donor, the reality is bleak.
Shlomi Ben-Shmuel: “He said one of the doctors, as they’re waiting for his medical records, told him that we’re not seeing patients until November and he said, ‘Shlomi, I don’t think I have until then.'”
Rosh Lowe: “Have you thought about what life would be like without him?”
Leah Krief: “Um… I don’t… I would say I don’t let my mind go there, but sometimes when I lay down at night, it’s something crosses my mind.”
The light in that darkness is the hope that someone will help.
Adam Krief: “This is my boy number two — the best.”
Luca, his 8-month-old, doesn’t know his dad is sick. The hope is that little Luca will grow up with his father. That the story of his father will be a miraculous one.
Shlomi Ben-Shmuel: “Please God, help.”
Friday afternoon, Adam’s family was on hand as potential donors lined up to get swabbed in Miami Beach.
Shlomi Ben-Shmuel: “It feels wonderful that the community comes out when someone’s in need. After all, he’s a father of three, someone’s son, someone’s brother and someone’s cousin.”
If you would like to get swabbed to see if you are a match, please go to https://www.giftoflife.org/register?spcodeprm=hope4adam for more information.
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