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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A 6-year-old Colorado Springs boy with a rare blood disease is headed to Minnesota for a bone marrow transplant.

Jason Dunnock had a big going away celebration as he boarded the Colorado Springs Airport Tuesday, bound for a hospital in Minnesota that boasts a 92 percent survival rate for non-sibling donors.

The blood disorder is called Fancoli Anemia, and it prevents Jason from going to school.

"His immune system shuts down," Jason's mother Kelly said. "His white blood cells and red blood cells kind of attack his body, and his body itself is basically what it is."

Jason was born without thumbs, and the doctor knew about the rare condition. Jason is now in need of a bone marrow transplant and is opening the Minnesota hospital will help him.

"Since he was born, both me and my husband have told him that he's special," Kelly said. "We've never lied to him, we've never sugar-coated it for him. We've said this isn't going to be fun."

Jason remains fun, outgoing and energetic, even after knowing the risks of his trip to the clinic at the University of Minnesota.

Family and friends gave him a big send-off Tuesday.

"It was important to us to give him a big send-off," Kelly said. "We wanted him to know that everybody supports him, everybody here will be praying for him, everybody will be thinking about him, and we know we have a huge support system.\

That love and support is what Jason's parents hope get them through this.

"2013 looks pretty amazing," Kelly said. "I am so excited to come home from this. I have no doubt in my mind that Jason is going to come out. He's going to wow everybody, and the doctors are going to go, 'I've never seen this before,' because it's Jason."

Reporter: John Martin