CHEER NEEDED FOR BOY IN NEW FIGHT.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

The kid has spent most of his young life cheering on others, but now Andrew Harris could use some of that support for himself.

The 11-year-old Simi Valley boy has taken every blow life's thrown at him, including two failed bone marrow transplants, and countless blood transfusions, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Two weeks before his 11th birthday on June 30, Andrew was diagnosed with yet another life-threatening disease of the bone marrow -- Myelodysplastic syndrome.

It lowers counts in all the blood lines, and produces abnormal cells that are preleukemic. Andrew needs a bone marrow transplant, but no suitable donor has yet been found.

``He hasn't been able to go to school or to day care because his immune function is so low he can't be around other kids for risk of infection,'' says his mom, Christine Harris.

``He can't go to any public places where there are crowds, or indoor places where there are other people around.

``But he just keeps on smiling. He's still the same little boy who lights up a room when he walks into it. Only now, he's the only one in the room.''

I wrote about Andrew in April -- the only boy on the all-girl Glacierz cheer squad, a Special Olympics team of special-needs kids who had captured a lot of trophies -- and hearts -- in local competition.

For years, Andrew would tag along with his mother to watch his older sister, Kacee, perform in cheerleading contests all around the state. When a Special Olympics team was formed, Andrew literally jumped at the chance to join.

``It never bothered him to be the only boy on the team,'' Christine said. ``He loved it. Andrew would be the first one out through the curtain, waving his arms for people to stand up and cheer for them.

``I think that's the thing he misses most now -- not being able to cheer.''

This weekend, wearing a mask to protect him from germs, Andrew will be the first person to board an airplane at LAX, and the last to get off it in North Carolina.

The Childhood Leukemia Society has granted his wish to meet driver Dennis Anderson and ride in his TV monster truck, the Gravedigger.

While his friends are at school, and the streets in his Simi Valley neighborhood are empty, Andrew is able to leave his room and spend a few hours outdoors driving his miniature motorized Gravedigger that his parents bought for him.

``He's still the same little boy, so full of energy and life,'' Christine says. ``He's just sicker now.''

Since his diagnosis in June, Andrew has needed transfusions of platelets each week and red cells each month.

When a bone marrow donor is found, he'll need red cells weekly and platelets daily.

``What my son needs now are prayers, and blood and platelet donors,'' Christine says.

If you're blood type B or O, contact the Blood Donor Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, [phone]. A directed donor account has been set up in Andrew's name.

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

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Andrew Harris is the only boy on the Glacierz cheer squad. He is in need of a bone marrow transplant.