'His only hope is bone marrow transplant': Chatham family appealing for bone marrow match as teen endures rare cancer

A Chatham family has issued an urgent plea for bone marrow donors as their oldest teenage son endures renewed treatment for a rare form of leukemia, after relapsing while in remission a few weeks ago.

Ethan Hunter, 16, was first diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma T-Cell leukemia, a rare form of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in August 2022, one week before his 15th birthday.

"We have watched him almost die four times," said an emotional Shara Hunter, Ethan's mother.

"We thought we were okay, even though he never really got better. The last couple months I kept saying something is wrong."

Hunter explained her son had gone through several biopsies, surgeries and chemotherapy treatments before going into remission December 2022, but had been continuing chemo treatments over the last year.

She said Ethan was able to go back to school for a couple days a week while in treatment, noting the effects had taken a harsh toll on his body and bones.

"Over 20 different types of chemo, some go in his spine, some is oral every day. He lost his hair. He lost his friends, he lost school. He lost his future career. He lost everything."

The Hunter's are urging people to go to the bone marrow registry and request a swab kit to see if there's a match for Ethan. (Source: Shara Hunter)

According to Hunter, her son's condition is so rare that doctors aren't sure how else to treat him, noting the relapse was even more rare to occur while in treatment.

"The cancer cells have mutated and spread everywhere," Hunter said, while stating the cancer had spread to 52 per cent of Ethan's body.

"His only hope is bone marrow transplant."

The Hunter's are urging people to go to the bone marrow registry and request a swab kit to see if there's a match for Ethan. They say time is of the essence, explaining if he can't get back into remission within the next 4 to 6 weeks, he will only have a 20 per cent chance of survival.

"Getting him into remission in the next 4 to 6 weeks is crucial or they can't do the bone marrow transplant," Hunter told CTV News. "He's immune now to everything he's currently got up to this point. So we're hoping the next six weeks it will work."

If medical teams can get him in remission, Hunter said Ethan will need a 9/10 or 10/10 bone marrow match and then need to be in Toronto for 3 to 12 months in isolation.

Hunter said Ethan's two siblings were the best chance for a bone marrow match, however after testing, it was learned there is no match in the immediate family.

"Disappointing is kind of an understatement of a term," said Ethan's father Darryl, from Ethan's hospital bedside in London, Ontario.

"We're back at square one and we got to start over. At least we now know what that's like."

"It was a big blow when he relapsed and we found out," he explained. "He thought we were close to the finish line and getting through this. And then we find that we got to go back to the beginning."

"Any help is good help."

Darryl added, "You never know who you'll be saving."

Shara Hunter said, "Sign up online. Just type in bone marrow registry and they will send you a kit and swab your cheek. You send it back. It will hit on our end if you're a match."

Mean time, family and friends are rallying around Ethan and the Hunter's by organizing community fundraisers and a Go Fund Me page to help cover expenses as both parents juggle work, parenting a driving between Chatham, London and Toronto.

"We spent two years without me working. I took a lot of credit against the house to pay for the house. We're done. I thought, okay, we can make this up when I go back to work. I don't know how we're going to recover from this, but I would remortgage 100 times to save him."

"This kid is special. He's going to changed the world," Hunter exclaimed.

"If you're a match, do it. I will forever be grateful."