We don’t do a whole lot of PSAs here at DCist, but there’s something about a kid with life-threatening cancer that finds us making an exception.

Devan (come on, just look at that face) is a four-year old Washingtonian who has a rare form of high-risk leukemia. His parents, Indira and Dermot, have been hitting the virtual pavement with vigor to try and find someone who can donate bone marrow to Devan, which — according to a letter circulated to various listservs around town yesterday — has proven to be an incredibly difficult task. Devan’s genetics place his chances of finding a donor match at 1 in 200,000.

The silver lining: despite what you might have seen on television medical dramas, bone marrow collection is now usually a non-surgical procedure, completely painless, and only slightly more complicated than donating blood. (That big needle into the bone is often no longer necessary. Modern science, for the win.) Since, like in Devan’s case, finding marrow donor matches is often a trying ordeal, those interested in giving must register with the Be The Match Registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program. The first step in the process is simply to take a swab of the inside of your cheek so that the NMDP can see whether your marrow would match those on the waiting list — including Devan.

Still want more information? Friends and neighbors of Devan’s family will be holding a donation drive at Turtle Park (45th and Van Ness Streets, NW) until 4 p.m. today, where people between the ages of 18 and 60 interested in getting on the list can register to receive a tissue-sample kit from the National Marrow Donor Program.

Alright, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.