Have a few minutes this weekend? Use them to help a Fort Worth boy with cancer
Friends and family of George Morford, an 8-year-old with leukemia, are holding a drive to find a genetic match who could donate stem cells for life-saving treatment should George need it.
The drive is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3 at University Baptist Church, 2720 Wabash Ave. in Fort Worth
George, a third-grader at Fort Worth’s North Hi Mount Elementary School, was diagnosed in February with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.
The disease is treated through chemotherapy and, in some cases, stem cell therapy. In George’s case, he’s already undergone two rounds of chemotherapy at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. Fortunately, he’s responded well to the chemo and is in remission, but it has been incredibly hard on his body. His immune system is compromised to the point where he’s pretty much been restricted to his hospital room for the past two months.
If further tests show the cancer remains after George completes two more rounds of chemotherapy, or if he suffers a relapse down the road, George’s mother, Sarah Morford, said stem cell treatment will be his only option. The challenge is finding a stem cell donor.
Only about 30% of patients needing stem cell therapy find a matching donor within their families. For the majority, their genetic twin is a complete stranger, which means George and others suffering from debilitating illnesses need as many people as possible to take a cheek swab test to determine compatibility.
If a person is found to be a match, the process of donating stem cells is generally as simple as donating blood. In rare cases, the matching donor might be asked to donate bone marrow, which is a minimally invasive procedure, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
George’s supporters are hoping for at least 1,500 people at University Baptist Church on Saturday. Prospective donors must be between 18 and 55 and in good health, and the process to undergo the cheek swab and fill out information for a donor registry should take less than 10 minutes. And as if you needed another reason to go, there will be music and fun activities at the church that day.
If you can’t make it out on Saturday, it’s no problem. Visit www.dkms.org/George to register online and request a free at-home cheek swab kit.
Saturday’s drive for George is being held in cooperation with Earl Young’s Team, an organization founded by former U.S. Olympic Team and Abilene Christian University track athlete Earl Young, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2011 at the age of 70.
Young needed stem cell treatment, and a worldwide search turned up a single matching donor in Germany who saved his life. George’s family is hoping for a similar lifeline.
“Do it not just for George, but for anyone who needs this,” said Sarah Morford. “It takes all kinds of people from all different ethnicities. You can come and feel good about yourself. You only have to do it once, and you stay in the donor registry.”
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 3:46 PM.