NYC Teen Seeks Bone Marrow Donor, Boosts Registry

Juan Uribe's viral plea to save his son Max's life has inspired thousands to join the donor registry.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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A 15-year-old New York City boy named Max Uribe is in need of a bone marrow transplant to treat his blood disorder, but a match has not yet been found in the national donor registry. His father Juan Uribe's social media plea for help has gone viral, leading to a 40% increase in Hispanic/Latino registrations, but they are still searching for Max's perfect donor match.

Why it matters

Finding a bone marrow match can be especially challenging for patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds, as the donor registry lacks representation from many minority groups. Max's story highlights the critical need to expand the donor pool to save lives, particularly for those facing blood cancers and disorders.

The details

Max Uribe, 15, is on the path to bone marrow failure and the only treatment is a bone marrow transplant to replace his diseased marrow with healthy marrow. His father Juan Uribe made a heartfelt social media plea that has gone viral, with over 20 million views, in the hopes of finding Max's perfect donor match. However, the challenge is that only 13% of donors in the National Marrow Donor Program database are Hispanic, and Max is 50% Colombian.

  • Juan Uribe posted his plea on social media in February 2026.
  • The Uribe family is aiming to get 1 million new people added to the donor registry by April 1, 2026.

The players

Max Uribe

A 15-year-old New York City boy in need of a bone marrow transplant to treat his blood disorder.

Juan Uribe

Max's father, who made a viral social media plea to find a bone marrow donor for his son.

Dr. Jaap Jan Boelens

Max's primary physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who explained the need for a bone marrow transplant to save Max's life.

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)

The national registry that maintains the database of potential bone marrow donors, which currently lacks representation from many minority groups.

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What they’re saying

“Hello, My name is Juan and I'm posting this because I need your help to save my son.”

— Juan Uribe (Social media)

“All of his blood counts are very low. The only way to treat that is a bone marrow transplant, so you replace the diseased marrow for healthy bone marrow.”

— Dr. Jaap Jan Boelens, Max's primary physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (CBS News)

“It's safe to donate. If you get through that and you are deemed to be healthy, you can safely donate.”

— Dr. Jaap Jan Boelens, Max's primary physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (CBS News)

“My mission is we want to get 1 million people added to the donor registry by April 1.”

— Juan Uribe (CBS News)

“He actually is feeling like we might actually have a chance.”

— Juan Uribe (CBS News)

What’s next

Following Uribe's social media post, the National Marrow Donor Program noted a 40% increase in Hispanic/Latino registrations to the database. The Uribe family is aiming to get 1 million new people added to the donor registry by April 1, 2026, which could save thousands of lives.

The takeaway

Max's story highlights the critical need to expand the bone marrow donor registry, particularly for patients from diverse ethnic backgrounds who often struggle to find matching donors. The overwhelming response to the Uribe family's plea shows the power of raising awareness and inspiring people to join the registry, which can ultimately save lives.