Local Law Enforcement Agencies Help Deputy Barrett Lovell in His Fight with Cancer

Law enforcement agencies are teaming up to help a Bossier Parish sheriff's deputy who's battling cancer.

Blood and Marrow Registry Drives will be held January 20 and 22 in hopes of finding a bone marrow match for Deputy Barrett Lovell and continue providing blood for him and other local patients.

The drive Tuesday, January 20, is being held from noon until 6 p.m. at the Bossier Sheriff's Viking Drive Substation. The one Thursday, January 22, is from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Shreveport Police Department's 2nd floor assembly room.

Lovell, who's 33 years old, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia last October. Doctors have told him that to survive this disease, he'll need a stem cell transplant.

"It never crossed my mind that I could have cancer. I never had anyone in my family with leukemia, I never even knew anybody. It was a shock to my system. I just kinda went blank," said Barrett in a LifeShare Blood Centers news release.

Lovell doen't have a matching bone marrow donor in his family. The National Marrow Donor Program, Be The Match, registers people to see if they could be a possible donor. In order to register, you must be between 18 and 44, in good physical health and be willing to donate to anyone you match. Registration takes about ten minutes and involves filling out paperwork and having four mouth swabs taken.

For questions about blood donation or signing up for the marrow registry go to www.lifeshare.org or contact LifeShare’s Marrow Registry Coordinator Brian Allison at 318.673.1534 or brian.allison@lifeshare.org.