Salisbury University hosts Be The Match walk

Hundreds of students participated in a walk around the campus of Salisbury University Thursday to remember a former student and raise awareness to help others battling the disease that took his life.

A.J. Slye was a freshman football player with Salisbury in the fall of 2012.  When he returned home to Northern Virginia for Christmas he began complaining about pains in his back.

After six hours at the urgent care unit, doctors informed Slye and his family he had Leukemia.

In need of a bone marrow and stem cell transplant, A.J. found no matches on the registry.  After 14 months, A.J. lost his battle with Leukemia.

A.J.'s parents, David and Laura, partnered with Coach Sherman Wood to organize a walk and sign people up for swabbing and it, in David's words, 'help another individual with cancer find a match and be cured of a horrible disease.'

Laura says her son's outlook on life made him a person for many on campus to remember.  Davis says he was just your average kid, but his infectious smile and personality just made him fun to be with.

Joey Slye, A.J.'s young brother and kicker for Virginia Tech, will be part of a Be The Match event in Blacksburg April 23.

If you want to join the National Bone Marrow Registry, you can log on to bethematch.org.