KINGSVILLE, Texas — Those at Texas A&M University Kingsville will have a chance to possibly save the life of someone with cancer.
"Be the Match", a national marrow donor program has teamed up with the university.
The University is holding this event in honor of one of their own students who lost his battle with cancer.
Lou Gonzalez was an athlete, outgoing college student, and pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Texas A&M Kingsville, alongside his childhood friend Trey Flores.
"He was the one that always pushed me more than anything," said Flores.
Lou started to get fevers, a sore throat and, he dropped a significant amount of weight. He eventually learned he had leukemia.
"We found out on Mothers day 2016," said tearful Cindie DeLeon, Lou's Mother.
Lou was eventually transported to a hospital in Houston. Cindie quit her job and left her husband with Lou's step brother and sister to live full time in Houston with Lou, where the family visited on weekends.
"He was admitted into the hospital for 37 days, in one floor and he couldn't leave the floor at all. and he shut down," said DeLeon.
Lou eventually went back to Kingsville to attend summer school. On the second day of school he relapsed and was sent back to Houston. Doctors told him he needed a blood transplant.
"We didn't have a donor. We didn't have a donor the first time, we didn't have a donor the second time," said DeLeon.
Lou passed away in June of 2018. Now, his friends and family are hoping his story will inspire others to register to "be the match."
"No one understands what it can actually do, just going in and attend this to be a match, you could change somebody's life," said Flores.
"If he was here, and he was part of be the match, I know he would tell them, 'you can save somebody's life like someone saved mine'." said DeLeon.
Be the Match will be all over the TAMUK campus till Wednesday but you don't have to be a student to register. If you're interested, here is how you can register now.
