«/lcyiwalked d,

askedthe long hallway, it became

apparent to me that something major waswrong. Finally, when we got to the doctor's.iffice, she delivered the news. 'Not my son!You must have made a mistake!' I said, 'Notmy son!1'1

Garland Hicks, a 44-year-old retired AirForce senior master sergeant, recalls how des-astated he fell upon learning thai his only sonhad a life-threatening disease. For the three-and-a-half years Johnathan battled AcuteLymphoblas t ic Leukemia (ALL). Hickswatched his son undergo chemotherapy andother treatments, and listened to Johnathan cryout in pain as doctors tried numerous times toget an IV in his arm.

"As a father I was supposed to provide forand protect my family, yet I Tell completelypowerless. This was not supposed to happenin my life," says Hicks. "Like many people,my knowldege about life-threateningalways seemed like these thingsbut not mine," he adds.

The Hicks family is not alone. Each year, inew patienls are diagnosed with leukemia, aplastie anemia, orone of over 60 other life-threatening diseases treatable withbone marrow. Treatment for leukemia usually includes givingthe patient transfusions of blood and platelets and chemothera-py, a chemical medication of cancer-killing drugs. Once theleukemia cells in the blood are destroyed, the patient is consid-ered to be in a state of remission.

However, if the patient relapses after the first remission, Ihena bone marrow transplant may be considered. In many cases, ihetransplant represents the only chance for survival. For criticallyill people, the long-term survival rate is 0-15 percent. With atransplant, the rates rise to 30-40 percent. Depending on the dis-ease and the patient's general health before the transplant, theaverage rale of success can go as high as 80 percent.

After a three-year remission, Johnathan relapsed and a bonemarrow transplant was needed.

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'g and value bos been given to life for the family ofMichael Hicks fright) irbusc life ,T;^ ion 10 Acnk1

Leukemia, jobnatban 1-, biaurei! be>'e ni!h bis u\indMarilvn. antlhhsitfer. Stephanie.

The transplant procedure, used only in the Ireatment of poten-tially falal blood and immune disorders, exlraels healthy bonemarrow from a donor who has a tissue type very similar to thepatient usually a brother or sister.

Because tissue types are inherited in the same manner asskin, hair, and eye color, if no matching sibl ing is available, apatient's best chance for finding a match is within his or herfamily, ethnic, or racial group. Only one in four of those whoneed a bone marrow transplant will find a match in their family.The resl must search for unrelated volunteer donors.

A bone marrow drive for Johnaihan in his parent's smallhometown registered over 50 people, but no immediate familymember's tissue type matched Johnathan's. The Hicks familyturned to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) insearch ot a suitable match.

The organization's National Bone Marrow Donor ProgramRcgivir; has recruited over two million donors. Of that number.7.1 percent arc African Americans (142,328); 4.8 percent AsianPacific Islanders (95,795); 6.5 percent Hispanic Americans30,344); and 1.2 percent American Indians (24,294).

about...time Aoril 199E