Magnus Kalins

VENTURA, CA – For the past two years Anna and Erik Kalins have enjoyed parent/child swim classes, at the Ventura Family YMCA, with their 2-year old son Magnus. Magnus, an energetic, thriving almost three year old little boy, today, finds himself battling a very rare form of leukemia called Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML).

The discovery of his cancer was a shock to his friends and family and even more shocking was the news that his only treatment option is a bone marrow transplant.

To help the Kalins family the Ventura Family YMCA, Be the Match and City of Hope have teamed up to host a bone marrow donor registry drive to find Magnus’ lifesaving match.

The drive will take place on September 20th from 11:00AM to 5:00PM at the Ventura Family YMCA located at 3760 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003.

To participate, potential donors must be between the ages of 18-44 years old. They will have their cheek swabbed and their DNA will be added to the donor registry. “It’s so simple and only takes 10 minutes to fill out the form and get your cheek swabbed,” stated Anna Kalins. Donors will then be added to see if they're a match for Magnus or the thousands of other patients with blood cancers or other diseases where a marrow transplant will save their life. For parents who are registering, a fun arts and craft station will be set up to give children a place to play.

“We are asking for everyone to help Magnus’s and thousands of other patients in need of a bone marrow transplant by joining us at the YMCA and signing up in the Be the Match registry,” stated Amy Bailey Jurewicz, YMCA Executive Director.

While waiting for his match, Magnus continues to enjoy life. Now, a big brother to his baby sister Zane, Magnus takes his role very seriously and gives out a lot of hugs and kisses and watches out for her already too.

For more information about the “Match for Magnus,” please contact Vivian Abernathy by calling 626.283.9182 or by emailing her at vbernathy@coh.org. To join the Be the Match Registry online go to the website http://www.join.bethematch.org and use the Promo Code: Match4Magnus.

About the Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Ventura Family YMCA serves over 20,000 individuals annually through facility memberships, before & after school childcare, day & resident camps, youth sports, swim lessons, teen programs, and many more healthy lifestyles and community enriching programs which nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Through its’ Open Doors program, the Y ensures that no one is ever turned away due to their inability to pay and facility memberships without contracts or join fees makes the Y accessible to all. The Ventura Family YMCA is located at 3760 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003. Log on to ciymca.org/ventura.