Danny Diorio

All heroes are not famous. They could be someone like you and me. My hero is Danny Diorio. He is my brother. He was born July 27, 1985. We used to live in Kearney, New Jersey, but now live in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.

On August 21, 1995, my brother Danny risked his life in a six-hour bone marrow operation. He was saving my other brother, DJ, from cancer. DJ had been diagnosed four years earlier. Danny was ten when the operation finally happened. DJ was seven when he had the operation that would save his life.

My parents were struggling because they knew one of their sons was risking his life to save his brother. It was a difficult time for my brother to go into the bone marrow transplant because he knew it would be painful.

The operation was four to six hours long. The operation consisted of having a needle put in my brother’s back, and transferring his blood to my other brother. This is called a bone marrow transplant. After six hours, the doctor came out and said the operation was a success! We were all happy.

A couple of days after the operation, my uncle gave my brother, DJ, a Tic Tac and he said he could taste it. This was a surprise because he lost his taste buds when he had cancer. My brother Danny was happy about it. His back hurt after the operation, but it was all worth it. My brothers are fine and healthy today. Danny is in college playing baseball and DJ is a junior in high school.

Not all heroes are famous. My brother, Danny, makes a difference in my life by teaching me that anything is possible. He taught me to never give up hope and that family is important. He is hardworking and smart. My hero is an inspiration to me.