PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Over the years, Newport News Shipbuilding senior designer John Slade Jr. was on hand for the commissionings and the overhauls of three of the nation’s mighty war machines. Today, at the age of 63, he’s at war with a rare form of leukemia.

“That’s true,” said Slade from his home in Gloucester. “That is hanging there and is day by day, you know, just keep working at it and just keep pushing because it’s not easy.”

That’s why friends and fellow shipyard workers stood in line at the Boo Williams Sportsplex last weekend for a cheek swab that will determine if they have eight of the eight genetic markers that are needed for a stem cell transplant. Slade’s only child, Amanda Bowers, organized the donor drive.

“Yes, over the weekend we set up shop at the Williams Sportsplex, which he was amazing,” Bowers said. “They really helped us out and let us set up tables there from 9 to 5. We ended up getting 30 people added to the public donor registry, the NCPDP Public Donor Registry. And that means if they get the call, they would do a blood transfer, kind of like you’re giving plasma.”

The donation process has been simplified, but a shortage of donors of African descent continues to shut the doors of recovery for many patients.

“So blood comes out of one arm, goes into a machine, the stem cells are pulled out and then goes back into your other arm,” Bowers said. “Yeah, there’s a long history of why people on the African community aren’t joining that group. I mean, we’ve had a lot of racial disparities, … so much history of racial inequality. And people don’t have access or … knowledge or are just scared. I mean, right now, I learned so much about this just from my father.”

Bowers said four matches have been identified from a global database, but so far, those donors have not followed through with the process.

Slade travels to Richmond three times a week for treatments that help with symptoms while he awaits a transplant. The family has established a GoFundMe account to help with his expenses.

In six-to-eight weeks, the family will learn if a local donor is a good match. Until then, Daddy’s girl, Amanda, at a 50% match, is his best hope.

Regina Mobley: It has been said when one person in the family has cancer, everybody has cancer.

Amanda Bowers: Exactly. Yeah. That’s how it feels now.