Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently used his platform during a press conference to raise awareness about the urgent need for bone marrow donors. The focus was on Ed Lacerte, a former athletic trainer for the Boston Celtics, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia known as acute monocytic leukemia. Carlisle, who has a long history of professional interaction with Lacerte, shared an emotional message calling for help in the search for a stem cell match to save Lacerte's life.
On December 22, Carlisle told reporters, "As many of you know, he's fighting for his life. He has aggressive leukemia, and there's an effort right now to find a stem cell match." He further highlighted that the challenge is made even more difficult due to Lacertes rare blood type, emphasizing the critical need for a larger number of potential donors to register and help.
Lacerte served as the head athletic trainer for the Boston Celtics for over three decades, making him a beloved figure within the NBA community. Despite not having a personal connection with Lacerte during his playing days with the Celtics, Carlisle got to know him professionally through their shared roles within the NBA. Carlisle was once the president of the NBA Coaches Association, while Lacerte held the position of treasurer of the NBA Trainers Association. Their frequent interactions over the years have now led Carlisle to call attention to Lacerte's life-threatening situation.
The Boston Celtics organization has been actively involved in raising awareness for Lacertes condition. In support of his fight, the team has worn t-shirts with the message "20 seconds could save a life," encouraging people to register as bone marrow donors. The Indiana Pacers are also planning to wear similar shirts later in the season to show solidarity with Lacerte and raise further awareness. At a recent game between the Pacers and the Celtics, donor registration stations were set up at TD Garden, where fans could easily participate in a simple cheek swab to determine if they are a potential match.
During his press conference, Carlisle explained how the public can contribute to this life-saving effort, saying, "To register, you need to be between the ages of 18 and 35. It's a simple 20-second cheek swab that can be done at home." He further clarified that donating bone marrow is similar to donating blood, but because of Lacerte's rare blood type, finding a match is particularly difficult. Carlisle encouraged people to visit the Celtics social media platforms for more information on the registration process and to learn how they can become potential donors.
The Lacerte family has also been at the forefront of the effort to find a match. Eds daughter, Arianna Lacerte, alongside her fianc Josh Kipnis, has led a national campaign aimed at increasing the number of registered donors. In a deeply personal and emotional act, Arianna and Josh held their wedding ceremony in Ed's hospital room just three days after his diagnosis. During the ceremony, they exchanged rings engraved with Ed's personal motto: "We can never do enough for family." Arianna and Josh recounted that after the ceremony, Ed would grab their hands and kiss the rings, a gesture he continues to repeat each day when they visit him at the hospital.
For those interested in becoming a bone marrow donor or learning more about how they can contribute to Lacertes fight, more information can be found on the Boston Celtics official social media pages, as well as through the national registry efforts spearheaded by his family.