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Boy battling leukemia finalist for CNN hero award
Pat Pedraja (in green) and his brother voted at the Mac computer store at the International Mall in Tampa.
TAMPA (Bay News 9) -- The votes are in and now a 12-year-old boy with leukemia waits to find out if he's been chosen as a CNN hero.
Pat Pedraja and his brother raced to get in last minute votes at the Mac computer store at the International Mall in Tampa.
"We see who can get to ten the fastest, so we can see who can get so many votes in a period of time," Pedraja said.
Monday was the last day for Pedraja to get votes on the CNN website, where he's a finalist in the CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute. He is the youngest among six finalists in the Young Wonder (under 18) category.
Pedraja is still going through chemotherapy, but that's not stopping him from saving lives. Pedraja is on a mission to get as many bone marrow donors as he can even though he doesn't need it himself.
"I saw a TV show where a girl passed away because she couldn't find a marrow match," Pedraja said. "And that hit me pretty hard because people with cancer have a bond."
Pedraja and his family boarded an RV this summer and drove to more than 30 cities across the nation, getting more than 6,000 people to sign up. One marrow match has already saved a life.
People who logged onto CNN.com had the chance to vote for Pat Pedraja, a finalist in the CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute.
Now he's nominated to win $25,000 and, more importantly, CNN air time across the world for his cause.
"I just want to tell people signing up to the bone marrow registry is so easy," Pedraja said. "It's just a cheek swab and ten minutes of paperwork."
Pedraja has turned something negative into something positive.
"When Pat was diagnosed he was10-years old," said his mother Claudine Andrews. "And the day after he was diagnosed he turned to me in the hospital and said 'Mom, this going to teach me something. I'm glad I got leukemia.'"
Now his mother understands those words and her son's motivation to change the world.
"I just hope and pray that I win because I can go and save many lives with that global broadcast," Pedraja said.
The winner will be announced on a live broadcast with CNN's Anderson Cooper and Christine Amanpour on Dec.6.
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