Story from 9 years ago

WENTZVILLE, MO (KTVI)–

As Americans get ready to celebrate Independence Day, one local veteran is facing a fight for his life.

Matthew Winkler is an all American kind of guy. He enlisted in the Army right out of high school. He married his high school sweetheart.

And like so many others, he has deployed multiple times to the Middle East. His last deployment to Iraq changed his life forever.

On that last deployment, Matt was exposed to a chemical fire and that, according to his doctors, is why he now suffers from a very rare form of leukemia.

Matt is undergoing chemotherapy in St. Louis and is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant.

His wife Amber and two young children have been in a fight of their own just to survive day to day, to pay bills and put food on the table.

Amber reached out to Heroes Care, a not-for profit group dedicated to providing financial support to military families before during and after deployment. And now Heroes Care is helping do so much more.

Two weeks ago they teamed up with Veterans United Foundation to get Matt out to Busch Stadium to throw out the first pitch at a Cardinals game.

And now they are helping organize a much needed bone marrow registers drive.

The drive is scheduled for July 13 from 11am to 3pm at the Wentzville fire house #1.