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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Leukemia Patient Dies the Day Before West Village Fundraiser

By Serena Solomon | July 20, 2011 11:16am

MIDTOWN — A fundraiser by a West Village restaurant had an unfortunate change of focus Sunday when the intended beneficiary, a leukemia patient, passed away the day before the event.

Cowgirl restaurant, on West 10th and Hudson streets, planned the fundraiser to raise money toward a $300,000 bone marrow transplant for Fernando Calixto, 40, who had been given a terminal prognosis in March. After Calixto passed away Saturday morning, the bar went ahead with the event to help his family cover already existing hospital bills.

“On Saturday morning, while struggling for his life in the hospital, Fernando passed away,” said Kristin “K.K.” Rogne, 38, the events coordinator at Cowgirl. “His white blood cell count was very low and made him susceptible to any cold.”

“There are no words to express how grateful and happy I am to see so many people wanting to help one individual- unfortunately we were too late,” said Rogne.

The event managed to raise $4,000 for the Calixto family, bringing the total to $6,000 raised by the restaurant.

Calixto’s cousin, Fernando Mendez, 30, has worked as a bartender at Cowgirl for more than a decade, and said the cancer had left his cousin exhausted and depressed. It went undiagnosed for a long time before being caught in the spring, relatives said.

“If he had noticed [the cancer] a long time ago he would have been fine,” Mendez told DNAinfo prior to his cousin’s death.

Calixto had already undergone two chemotherapy treatments and had an approved bone marrow donor, but did not have health insurance to pay for the operation.

His 17-year-old daughter, Jennifer, also tried to raise funds, turning to social media with a Facebook group and blog called "Help Save My Father's Life,"

Calixto, who was born in Mexico and lived in the Bronx, is survived by a wife and three children ages 17, 16, and 11.