FAMILY SEEKS MARROW MATCH FOR AILING SON.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

VALENCIA - It was a rash that appeared on Peter Nahas' arm when he was 9 that sent a Valencia family into a four-year search for the bone marrow he needs to help battle an inherited blood disorder.

Now 13, Peter has yet to find the right match, said his mother, Lina. To widen the search, the family is holding a bone marrow drive next week at a Greek Orthodox church in the San Fernando Valley with hopes of tapping the Middle Eastern community.

Peter's heritage is Greek. And because bone marrow characteristics are more likely to match if donor and recipient are of similar ethnic backgrounds, his family is encouraging donors of Middle Eastern descent.

The search, however, is larger than that. People of all backgrounds are urged to undergo the simple blood test from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 12 at St. Nicholas Church, 9501 Balboa Blvd., Northridge. Potential matches will be called back for further testing in hopes that someone will be able to give this 13-year-old a shot at a better life.

The family will pay for the testing - $65 per person. That fee, however, could be erased if 60 people agree to donate a pint of blood each in a companion drive to help replenish Southern California's dangerously low supply.

Peter has Fanconi anemia, which leads to bone marrow failure. The condition has left him susceptible to infection, and as an adult he will be at much higher risk for various cancers than the average population. His parents are moving one step at a time to keep him well.

``We need to find a match to cure the bone marrow part and we'll worry about the other stuff later,'' Lina said.

Peter was attending Mountainview Elementary School in Saugus when he was diagnosed and soon afterward 150 volunteered to be tested as a possible match. No match was found, prompting plans for an effort that would attract more likely candidates.

If both parents carry the Fanconi anemia gene, there is a 25 percent chance their child will develop the disorder. The Nahases have an older daughter who did not.

Peter, who went to Arroyo Seco Junior High School, was home-schooled this year to guard against infection. He can't go out much, but loves video games and animals, his mother saad. ``He just loves animals, anything to do with animals,'' Lina said. ``He has two little Chihuahuas and we're cat-sitting for the summer.''

In the fall, Peter will go to the new West Ranch School in Stevenson Ranch because it will have a comparatively smaller enrollment, which means a smaller risk of getting sick.

``It's just opening and they'll just have freshmen and a block schedule with only three classes a day,'' Lina said. ``He won't have to move around as much; it'll be less tiring for him. He won't have as many books to carry. Hopefully, he'll be able to stay there.''

Patricia Farrell Aidem, [phone]

pat.aidem(at)dailynews.com