A trip to Tosa Greek Fest means you could help a child with a rare illness.
Eleven-month-old Elias Argirokastritis lives with a rare immune disease called NEMO. He must be isolated, in the house or hospital, and cannot play with other kids as an infection could kill him.
"Anywhere there could be viruses or bacteria we try to stay away from," said mom Evelyn Argirokastretis.
A bone marrow transplant could give little Elias a chance at a normal life. Bone marrow drives are taking place all over the world for the Michigan boy. That includes Tosa's Greek Fest at Saints Constantine and Helen church.
Volunteers will be swabbed in the cheeks to see if they're a match. Jessica Lavora volunteered.
"When I see kids, it makes me really sad so I'm totally willing to help out when I can," said Lavora. "What if we had a child that needed this?"
"Elias is Greek and you are more likely to match with someone if you share a heritage with them so we've been reaching out to several different Greek Fests and Greek communities across the country and they've been really welcoming," said Olivia Haddox DKMX donor recruitment coordinator.
Argirokastritis is touched at the international response.
"People rallying and help save my son's life it means the most..there's nothing a mother wants more than for her child to live."
She hopes a bone marrow match will give her child a chance at childhood, a gift many take for granted.
"I want him to outlive me I want him to grow, I want to see grandchildren from him too," said Argirokastritis.
