11-year-old Mateo Cota of Arroyo Grande is living proof of just how important it is for people to donate blood.
Mateo, along with his mother Erika, are sharing his story and getting the word out in an effort to help promote the upcoming News Channel Day of Service Blood Drive, which is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 16 at all three Central Coast Vitalant blood centers.
Eleven days before his second birthday in Sept. 2013, Mateo was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The diagnosis began a long and difficult journey for both Mateo and his family, which included six years of various treatment plans.
“I was super skinny,” said Mateo. “I couldn’t eat anything no matter what is was and I really didn’t do much. I sat in my room and I didn’t get to do what I saw all these other kids doing. I felt like I was in a cage. I couldn’t go out for six years, so it was pretty tough. I didn’t feel like a regular kid.”
Leave a Reply