Residents Asked To Help City Native Beat Cancer

When Paul Lambert, a Woonsocket resident for many years, was diagnosed with a rare form of Lymphoma a few months ago, he joined thousands of patients in search of a marrow match that could save his life.

But Lambert faces an even longer shot than most. Because of his French Canadian and Native American descent, and because of a rare and difficult tissue type to match, the search to find a suitable donor is more difficult. But you have a chance to help.

Area residents are being asked to help by registering for the Marrow Registry at a marrow drive Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon in the Auditorium, 777 Cass Ave.

Individuals may also register at any of the Rhode Island Blood Center’s fixed locations or mobile blood drives. For a listing of drives and donor site locations, along with hours, visit www.ribc.org.

Lambert, 58 and known by many as “Chops,” is being treated at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He has been told that his only option is a marrow transplant. A graduate of Mount Saint Charles Academy, Lambert worked for more than 20 years as a machinist in the area before moving to Cape Cod with his wife Lorriane, six years ago. He now works as a service technician at Fresenius Medical Center.

Lambert is a father to Lynn Bouley and grandfather, hoping for the day when he can share his passion for fishing with his only grandson, Brady.

The marrow drive is being run by the Rhode Island Blood Center’s Be The Match program, among the nation’s leading marrow registration programs. For more information, visit www.ribc.org.