Patrick Masson, general manager and part-time coach of the UCLA
hockey team, is a regular blood donor. At one visit to the UCLA
Blood and Platelet Center, Masson heard the emotional story of
John-Paul Quintero.
Quintero is a 22-month-old boy who has been diagnosed with a
very rare blood disorder known as Diamond-Blackfan Anemia. His bone
marrow does not produce normal red blood cells.
Because of the disorder, Quintero requires blood transfusions
every two to four weeks. Quintero has already received 50 blood
transfusions despite being less than two years old.
As a result, the UCLA hockey team will be sponsoring a blood
drive today at 9 a.m. at the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center to
encourage people to donate blood for Quintero.
“(Masson) is a regular donor; he heard about
John-Paul’s situation, and told me, “˜I’d be delighted
to help,'” Blood and Platelet Center outreach
coordinator Linda Goss said.
“We always need blood. Campus blood drives are very
successful, but other than those, it’s hard to get people to
donate. This is a big help. It’s a morale booster.”
The hockey team will be giving away 100 tickets for their next
game during the blood drive, and the Bruin Bear will be in
attendance. Maricelle Quintero, John-Paul’s mother, will also
be at the event.
“I give blood there pretty regularly, and I overheard
people talking about this story, and I realized that I know 20 guys
that I have some control over,” Masson said.
The hockey team returns to action Friday night when they host
California at the HealthSouth Training Center in El Segundo.