To all of you who have supported this campaign, I can’t begin to express my gratitude. It has meant so much to me, the Heme Team, the patients and researchers we are trying to support through the LLS.    The campaign will end on June 3…it is not too late to donate.  Due to great support we are extending our “Doobie Red” $10.00 online raffle until the campaign closes on June 3.  This is a limited edition 15 bottle case produced by BR Cohn Winery with a $500.00 value.  $10 could help cure blood cancer but also win a case of fantastic wine!!!

 

This is Memorial Day weekend.  People are making plans to get out of town, and in California even ski!!  This Memorial Day however, many people are remembering people they have lost …and many are from blood cancers. 

 

For those of you who were at the TNT Cause for Celebration in April, I told the story of Emily, a young mother who was searching for a donor. After 2 transplants and numerous chemotherapy regimens, her leukemia persisted.   She even went on television to recruit donors into the registry…unfortunately; Emily is losing her 5 year long battle with AML leukemia.  As I sat with her this week in clinic, she told me she knew her time was very short. She said, “Lisa I don’t know how to say thank you to you, I love you.”  After 21 years and many stories, I must tell you this does not get easier, but it does continue to keep all of us on the UCSF team and other programs throughout the country passionate and motivated to continue to find cures and treatments for these diseases and to support our patients.

 

This Memorial Day weekend, another one of my amazing patients will marry his sweetheart. The 3 of us have worked very hard to find a time in between treatments for them to have a wedding.    They will not have a honeymoon because he will have to admit to our hospital to receive a transplant from his sister to treat his Leukemia. 

 

The irony is that we also celebrated our patient reunion party last weekend, with a record turnout of patients, many 20+ years since their transplants. This too does not get old…celebrating the life of patients who were cured.  I can only hope that this number grows and more people are cured.  At this celebration, the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Program at UCSF received the LLS Chairman’s Citation for Excellence.  Dr. Damon, our director, received this on behalf of our program. 

 

This Memorial Day what are you going to remember while you are celebrating a 3 day weekend?  For a moment, I ask you to think about the patients and families living with and dying from blood cancers.  I ask you to keep in your thoughts the people training for amazing endurance events with TNT to raise money and awareness to help find cures.   I ask you to remember that Cancer, doctors, nurses and patients do not get the weekend off.

 

Please consider a small donation of any amount to help an organization who is there for patients and families during the worst time in their lives.

 

I thank you all for your support in helping us reach a HUGE goal and for taking the time to get to know some of my personal honorees.

 

Lisa