Blood drive honors boy with rare illness

Dominic Mazziotta, age 12, is the only child in the world known to have Kaposi’s hemangioendothelioma, a rare blood disease that causes his own red blood cells to destroy platelets and to develop tumors.

Now a sixth-grader at TMI – The Episcopal School of Texas, he was diagnosed two years ago after what seemed like an ordinary bump on the knee from a skateboarding fall left him swollen from hip to ankle. His parents, Karen Mazziotta and Gina Rodriguez-Mazziotta, were stunned when they were told that their son was one of only 40 known people worldwide to have the disease.

“We were so lucky,” says Rodriguez-Mazziotta. “If it had been a head injury, it would have been so much more serious.”

Since then, Dominic has been treated with chemotherapy by Mahendrabhai Patel, M.D., a San Antonio hematologist and has been able to remain a full-time student, keeping up with his studies at home when reactions to his treatments keep him from going to school, where he is a full-time student.

“Dominic is just like any other student in my class,” says TMI math teacher Stacey Patsko. “If I didn’t know he had health issues, I would never be able to tell. He is a bright student, a talented athlete and has many friends. He has fit in well here at TMI.”

Though his illness sometimes sidelines him for days at a time, Dominic is determined to keep up with his healthy peers. “He has handled his disease with class and character,” says Rodriguez-Mazziotta. “We keep going with a deep faith in God and the belief that everything happens for a reason.”

Because Dominic has benefited from help from the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center in the past, the organization is sponsoring a blood drive in his name from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at the McDonald’s at 25200 W. Interstate 10 (exit Ralph Fair Road).

“It’s a way we can give back,” says his mother. “We hope people will come out to donate blood in his name – not for him this time, but for all the people who need it.”

About TMI – The Episcopal School of Texas: Founded in 1893, TMI is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory school for grades 6-12, with optional Junior ROTC and boarding programs. For information, visit www.tmi-sa.org or call 698-7171.

TMI – The Episcopal School of Texas
20955 West Tejas Trail
San Antonio, TX 78257

This release was published on openPR.