Hike for Discovery

February 6, 2006

Jan is signed up for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Hike for

Discovery at the Grand Canyon in May. This is a fund raiser to get

money to help search for the cure. Leukemia is more common among those

with down syndrome than the general population and Jan is doing her

pay-back because she is back to health and can do things she likes like

hiking.

I will post a couple more times on this subject, but the campaign has

started. If you are able to contribute, go to her website at:

If you aren't able to contribute, you can write encouraging her at

<sogold@...>

For those who aren't aware, Jan got hit with major health problems at 27

and a year later with leukemia (AML). She got into remission and grew

her hair back in time to be a bridesmaid at her brother's wedding the

following year. Unfortunately, the remission was less than a year and

the only possible path to survival was a bone marrow transplant. The

same brother came to her aid because he was an adequate match. The

transplant was a very hard time, but that is all past. We are over two

years post-transplant and she is healthy and off all medications.

She will be training hard for this hike, although she probably could do

it now because she is working out or hiking regularly. Her Mom and I

will be along as support team (something that she will be happy to have

but doesn't need all that much).

Rick .. dad to 33 year old Jan who starts in a day program tomorrow that

will help end her being a hermit.

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