Santa Fe Police Seek Donor to Save Teen's Life

Blood drive until 4 pm Monday at SFPD

By Justin Horwath

The Santa Fe Police Department is holding a blood drive today until 4 pm to help find a matching donor for an Ojo Caliente teen suffering from a rare blood disease.

SFPD says Miquela Martinez, 16, was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinura in September. An SFPD release says the disease causes red blood cells to break apart and release hemoglobin, prohibiting them from carrying oxygen through the body.

Miquela is registered in a national donor database, police say, but doctors cannot find a match for her. SFPD hopes to find the perfect match for Martinez in a blood drive at SFPD headquarters, at 2515 Camino Entrada, that lasts until 4 pm today. Donors must be 18-44 years old. Officials will check whether a potential donor matches Martinez by obtaining DNA with cheek swabs. The DNA will be entered into the national donor registry, police say, so that if a donor doesn't match Martinez, they might be able to match with someone else in need.

If you can't make it today, police say residents may also register here to be a donor.

Santa Fe Reporter

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