LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A match for a little boy needing a bone marrow transplant has been found in his own family, with the lifesaving procedure set to begin later this month.

Ryland Joseph, who will be 6 months old this month, was diagnosed in February with a rare disorder called Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, which primarily affects boys, as Lake County News has reported.

Without a bone marrow transplant, Ryland isn’t expected to live beyond 5 to 8 years, as the form of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome makes him susceptible to autoimmune deficiencies, leukemia, lymphoma and other deadly conditions.

On Monday afternoon, Ryland’s parents, Rodd and Kellie Joseph, were contacted by the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, which informed them that their 21-month-old daughter is the best match for her baby brother.

Trina Brajkovich, an account executive Be the Match, the National Marrow Donor Program, told Lake County News in an interview last month that finding a match amongst siblings or close family members isn’t common, so the discovery that their daughter is a match was an exciting piece of news for the Josephs.

Rodd Joseph told Lake County News that Ryland will begin the “long and vigorous” bone marrow transplant process on April 17, with the transplant itself taking place on May 1. Ryland is expected to remain at UCSF for anywhere between six to 12 weeks.

Due to the high costs of a bone marrow transplant – it could cost $1 million or more – The Ryland Robert Joseph Be The Match Fund has been set up at Mendo Lake Credit Union in Clearlake to help with medical bills.

Visit any Mendo Lake Credit Union branch and make a deposit to The Ryland Robert Joseph Be The Match Fund account, 7XXX2080.

Other efforts to raise funds include an event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Lake County Fire Protection District’s Station 70, 14815 Olympic Drive in Clearlake.

There will be a raffle and community members can sign up a the event to be bone marrow donors or can go online to register at www.bethematch.org .

Although Ryland has a match, his family is encouraging everyone to register at Be the Match for others who desperately need bone marrow donors.

“Please continue to send prayers our way as this long and dangerous journey is only beginning for our family,” the Josephs said in a message to friends and supporters.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.