Long Beach Hotel to Host Benefit for Sick Boy

The Long Beach Hotel will host a fundraiser Friday for a boy suffering from a blood cell-related disorder.

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The “Laughter Saves Lives” comedy benefit is a fundraiser for Owen Hogan, a 2-year-old boy from New Hyde Park, who was diagnosed in May with severe Aplastic Anemia, a disorder in which the body stops producing blood cells and can result in fatigue and impair the body’s ability to fight infection, among other maladies.  

Owen’s best chance of survival is with a bone marrow transplant, according to a website devoted to the boy.

“If Owen is able to receive a transplant from a perfectly matched donor, his chances of survival are between 80% and 90%,” the site reads. “At this point, a perfect match for Owen has not been located. If Owen’s system becomes too weak to wait for a perfectly matched donor, his doctors will need to use an imperfectly matched donor, at which point Owen’s chance of survival plummets to 40%.”

Anyone interested in registering as a bone marrow donor will have an opportunity to have their cheeks swabbed at the benefit event at the hotel, located at 405 E. Broadway in Long Beach. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the main event starts at 8 p.m. Jan. 10.