The Kings are honoring the Fan Appreciation Day tradition at the last home game of the regular season with a twist.

The team is partnering with “Be The Match” in hopes of helping a 19-year-old fan named Tanner Raboin by staging a Bone Marrow Registry Drive across from section 115 during the duration of the Kings-Ducks game. Tanner is a college student who is battling chronic illness as a result of a genetic disorder called Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD).

From the team’s press release:

The registration process to become a potential marrow donor involves: a consent form that includes basic contact information, race & ethnicity, simple health history questions and a signature. Once that is complete, the person registering does a self-administered cheek swab that takes less than a minute.

Due to his current ailment he is unable to partake in his number one passion, attending Kings games.

Throughout the season, “Tannerheads” were seen at every Kings related event. Tannerhead was created by Tanner’s father as a tribute to his son, and vowed to include him (Tannerhead) in every Kings related event until he is well enough to attend himself.

Tanner is a patient at the National Institutes of Health, under the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He is closely followed by the Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases team (LCID). Tanner was admitted at NIH Clinical Center on December 07, 2010, for further treatment of increased lung infiltrates. He has not improved clinically, and is under aggressive antibiotic and anti-fungal treatment.

Given the serious nature of his infection and illness at present, Tanner is participating in a research study that focuses on his illness and receiving treatment for his infections and is admitted indefinitely until the infections are under control. Tanner was placed in the National Marrow Donor registry almost three months ago with no match to date. It is the intension of Tanner and his doctors to find a donor match, that will ultimately cure him of his disease. At present Tanner has made no significant improvement since being admitted at NIH, and may need to use a transplant to ultimately save his life.

Be The Match is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor. Be The Match offers the public an opportunity to get involved by joining the Be The Match Registry, donating umbilical cord blood, contributing financially to Be The Match FoundationSM or volunteering time.