Blood drive, bone marrow screening held for 7-year-old White Oak boy

A blood drive and bone marrow screening were held in Monroeville to help a 7-year-old boy.

The drive and screening were held at Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church on Sunday for Dyllan Botti.  The boy and his family are church members.

Botti, from White Oak, was recently diagnosed with pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  He has received chemotherapy and blood transfusions at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and is a candidate for a bone marrow transplant.

“It means the world to us and all the children who need bone marrow transplants,” said Botti’s grandmother Carol Smith.

Botti is the son of Andy and Joelle, and has a 2-year-old sister, Ella. The first-grader enjoys playing soccer.

The blood donations from Sunday’s drive will got to more than 40 hospitals in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

According to a Facebook page created for Botti, a spaghetti dinner fundraiser will take place at the Sub Alpine in Turtle Creek in Jan. 25.

WPXI