OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Mike LeBaron speaks at the Chautauqua County Legislature meeting, urging everyone to register to donate blood and become a bone marrow transplant donor. Potential donors just have to have a cheek swab to register. Standing behind him are elected officials and county residents affected by childhood cancer.

Mike LeBaron of Kennedy found hope when his son Nolan was able to overcome childhood cancer.

He wants to see other parents find hope as well by expanding the bone marrow registry.

Nolan was diagnosed in 2022 with acute lymphocytic leukemia — a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. He was declared cancer-free last December.

The Chautauqua County Legislature recently proclaimed September as “Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.”

During the ceremony, LeBaron and his wife Andrea were in attendance, along with others, including Tara Swan of Falconer, who lost her daughter Kallie to cancer in 2015.

LeBaron stepped up to the microphone to talk about what the average person can do.

“Donate blood. It may be inconvenient. It hurts when they stick it (a needle) in your arm. You may get dizzy, but that’s nothing compared to what the kids go through,” he said.

Secondly, he called on community members to join a bone marrow registry.

“Leukemia patients, which that’s what our son had, there’s a real danger that they relapse,” LeBaron said.

LeBaron noted that in that situation, a bone marrow transplant is the next option.

“A bone marrow transplant is difficult. And many, many times the bone marrow match is not a family member,” he said.

LeBaron shared that it’s quite simple to register.

“The first thing you would do is fill out a single-sided piece of paper with your contact information,” he said.

After that, a person needs to take a cotton swab, rub it on the inside of his/her mouth, and place it in a vial. The vial gets sent in and the person is officially registered as a donor.

“You’re done, you never have to re-register,” he said.

But the day may come when that person is contacted and asked to donate.

LeBaron noted how he and his wife have met people in similar situations. “We know a kid from Western New York. The match came from North Carolina from a complete stranger who joined a bone marrow registry. It was like 10 years ago and that person saved this kid’s life,” he said.

For more information on how to register, go to giftoflife.org.

County Executive PJ Wendel thanked LeBaron for his words.

In the proclamation, Wendel noted that childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. Every year, approximately 17,293 children — or 47 per day — are diagnosed with cancer, with the average age of diagnosis being just 6 years old. Despite advances in medicine, 80% of these cases are diagnosed late, often with metastatic disease, and only six new drugs have been developed specifically to treat pediatric cancers in the past 30 years.

In September, officials are encouraging residents and organizations to unite in support of children affected by cancer and their families. They note that together, the community can make a difference — spreading hope, advancing research, and providing vital support to those who need it most.