A local judge’s fight against cancer has sparked a movement from community members to help raise awareness.
Chris Ehrenfeld says his friendship with Carl Fox has been cultivated over many years.
“I first came down here to go to school at UNC,” he says. “Shortly after graduating, one of my friends was a good friend of his, so I met Carl probably about 20 years ago.
“And then we opened the Bean & Barrel about eight years ago, and at that time Carl was living out by Bean & Barrel. And he came in the Bean & Barrel just about every day for his morning coffee. And he was one of the guests at our wedding. He’s just become a great friend of our family.”
Fox, who served as a Superior Court Judge, is now battling blood cancer and is in need of a bone marrow transfusion.
Ehrenfeld, who is part owner of Bean & Barrel, says they are going to host a bone marrow drive on Tuesday night in hopes of finding a matching donor for Fox and the thousands of patients who are in a similar situation.
“We’ll have free food for everybody,” he says. “It’s just going to be a big party. Carl’s going to be there. Certainly, people can wish him well.
“But, more importantly, we’re hoping to get lots of registrations and hopefully find matches for many people throughout the country.”
Ehrenfeld says the perseverance Fox has shown in helping others while battling his disease has been inspiring.
“I doubt you’ll find a person that you’ll have more people say more kind things about [than] Carl,” he says, “just in general, the way he’s lived his life, and the way he’s touched so many people and is such a good person.
“And to be able to take this and then turn it into a positive to try to touch that many more people is just a testament to him and his character.”
Ehrenfeld says it is easy to help out and see if you are a match for Fox and others.
“It’s a simple process,” he says. “You swab inside your mouth with a q-tip, fill out some registration forms, and you’re good to go.
“But you do have to be between the ages of 18 and 55 years old.”
Ehrenfeld encourages those over the age of 55 who want to help out to come to the event and donate to Delete Blood Cancer; that organization will have representatives on site at the event.
The event will be held from five until nine o’clock Tuesday night with free food being offered at Bean & Barrel, which is located on Governor’s Drive in Chapel Hill.
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