SON'S ILLNESS CHANGED MOM RED CROSS HONORS WOMAN FOR WORK IN LATINO COMMUNITY.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

GLENDALE - In the process of praying for a miracle for her child, Marisol Quintero became one herself.

Her 2-year-old son John Paul Quintero, a victim of a rare blood disorder, inspired his mother to overcome her own fears and become a forceful speaker for his cause.

``Because of him, I am the woman I am today,'' Quintero said as she was honored Thursday by Molina Healthcare of California and the American Red Cross as a Miracle Mother for her work in raising awareness in the Latino community about the importance of giving blood.

This is the first time Molina Healthcare has given such an award, which was presented to Quintero at Collection Consultants in Glendale, where she has worked for 13 years.

John Paul's illness has placed Quintero in the forefront of a national issue. She speaks at schools and community centers, urging them to hold blood drives. When given the opportunity, she talks about her son on Spanish language television. Recently, she helped organize a blood drive where 185 units of blood were collected.

Diagnosed with diamond blackfan anemia, a rare blood disorder that affects 700 people worldwide, John Paul has had 45 blood transfusions so far. He receives a transfusion every two weeks to provide the red blood cells his body cannot produce, Quintero said.

``The doctors tell me that if he receives blood transfusions regularly, he will live to be 35,'' she said tearfully. ``I'll be turning 33 this month, and the thought of that makes me sad.''

According to the American Red Cross, 3 percent of Southern Californians donate blood. Of that, 20 percent of the donors are Latinos.

``That's actually higher than other parts of the country, but still very low,'' said Rudy Salinas, director of community outreach for the Red Cross. ``About 60 percent of Latinos have Type O blood, which is the universal type. That means that anyone can use Type O, but those with Type O can only receive Type 0. So it's important that people like Marisol help us get this message out.''

As part of a Red Cross campaign, John Paul's face can be seen across Los Angeles in billboards with the words: ``Two years of life, plus 37 transfusions of blood, equals one miracle. Donate blood.''

Quintero also helps raise funds for the Diamond Blackfan Anemia Foundation, based in New York.

Molina Healthcare donated $500 Thursday in John Paul's name to the foundation. ``Giving blood is something that is not yet a part of the Latino culture,'' said Community Outreach Director Jorge Lopez Munoz of Molina Healthcare. ``People say all the time, This will not happen to me - it happens to others. But it can happen to anyone.''

Meanwhile, Quintero said she will continue to work to help find a cure, so that her son will live a normal life, away from needles and hospitals.

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Marisol Quintero's son, 2-year-old John Paul Quintero, suffers from a rare blood disorder, which inspired her to become a forceful speaker in the Latino community about the importance of donating blood.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer