According to his aunt Beth Hargraves, four-year-old Trevor Maizland is like any other boy his age, with a love for macaroni-and-cheese and superheroes like Batman and Spiderman.
The only difference is Maizland has been battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) since he was diagnosed in June. He began chemotherapy immediately, and went into remission, but relapsed after a few weeks.
“You’re supposed to stay in remission, hopefully forever…but the bone marrow transplant is now his best chance at beating this,” said Hargraves, a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion.
Maizland is the son of Hargraves’ brother Mike and his wife Jennifer of Linden. Hargraves is planning a bone marrow drive for St. Joe’s on Dec. 3.
“Trevor has two older sisters that were tested (to be bone marrow donors). They are six and eight…they were not matches for him,” Hargraves said. “My father passed away from a different type of Leukemia.”
After his sisters were unable to be donors, the national registry was checked for a match for Maizland. But Hargraves said no match has been located yet.
“It costs $65 to be tested, and they just prick your finger, it’s very simple. But they do HLA typing of the blood, which is why it costs $65,” she explained.
Hargraves and other members of the family began holding fundraisers, not for Maizland’s medical expenses but instead to allow anyone to come to the drive on Dec. 3 and be tested to be a bone marrow donor, free of charge.
Hargraves’ children attend St. Joe’s School, and the school held a penny challenge and raised over $5,000 for the fund. Hargraves’ Brownie Troop, #1432 in Lake Orion, in conjunction with the school, held a bottle and can drive and raised over $1,300.
“It was a rainy, cold and terrible day and all of our Brownie girls went out,” she said. “We just couldn’t believe the amount.”
Hargraves has also organized a non-profit organization, “My Friends Care BMT Fund,” for the drive.
In order to be able to be typed at the bone marrow drive, which involved filling out a medical history and having a finger pricked, people must be between the ages of 18-60 years old, in reasonably good health.
“If people have specific questions about whether or not they can be typed, they should visit www.marrow.org, or contact their local chapter of the American Red Cross,” said Hargraves. “Some women who are pregnant, and even some people with diabetes can still be typed.”
After they are typed, participants in the bone marrow drive will have their names added to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.
“They may not be able to save Trevor, but they might be able to save someone else in the future,” Hargraves said.
As for her nephew, Hargraves said Trevor has been “the bravest little boy.”
“If he didn’t have a bald head and have to wear a mask, you’d never even know,” she said. “His parents have good days and bad days. I think they’ve been overwhelmed by the support.”
The bone marrow drive will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 715 N. Lapeer Road, on Dec. 3 from 1-7 p.m.
No appointments are needed to come in and be typed, and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Beth Hargraves at 814-0844.
Tax-deductible donations can be sent to “My Friends Care BMT Fund” c/o Trevor Maizland, P.O. Box 380144, Clinton Township, MI, 48038 (Please write “Trevor Maizland” on the memo line of the check).