Javier Quintana or as his friends call him “little man” is a captivating young boy and is impossible to meet him and not fall in love with him. His wicked look spells trouble. His mother best describe him as spontaneous and caring, but with an appetite of an adult.

Javier was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia over 2 years ago when the doctors couldn’t figure out why his low blood counts and frequent nose bleeds. It is impossible to guess that this healthy looking boy is fighting the fight of his life. Doctors have been successful at keeping his condition under control, but they don’t know for how much longer.

Javier was referred for a bone marrow transplant over a year ago, but due to the lack of health insurance, financial means and not being able to find a compatible bone marrow donor, everything has been placed on hold.

Javier and his mother travel more than two hours each way several times a month from their small town in Cornelia, Georgia to get to Atlanta Children’s hospital. The highlight of his trip as he mentions, is getting to eat McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries.

Javier’s father had to leave to another city where he was fortunate to find a job in agriculture in order to support his family of four. His mother, Cecilia cannot hold a job, as several times a week she rushes to school because of Javier’s excessive nose bleeds.

The family struggles to put food in the table, but right now that is the least of their problems and their only concern is not being able to save their son. Javier’s older brother was not a match and after numerous bone marrow drives held by The Icla da Silva Foundation in the community and throughout the state a match for Javier has not been found.

Cecilia, his mother, struggles to put words together and by one look at her it is easy to feel her pain and see her delicate emotional condition. She states “that doesn’t know how she is going to be able to manage the wait of finding a donor and how helpless she feels that there is nothing else she can’t do for her baby”.