04 Jun 2012 'Get Swabbed, Be the Match & Save a Life'
by Sonja J. Keith
Conway firefighter Eric Duvall has never met Leslie Harris but he is on a mission to help find the one person who can help save the young mother’s life.
Leslie, 29, was diagnosed with AML (leukemia) on Sept. 21, just hours before giving birth to her son, Samuel Ayden. She has undergone four rounds of chemo and has endured months of sickness, surgery and pain.
Without a bone marrow transplant, Leslie, who lives in Sherwood, was given only six months to live.
Eric recalled seeing a news report about Leslie’s battle that inspired him to get involved. “I told my wife, Renee, what if it was you…I would scour this earth looking for a match.”
Like Eric, others in the 501 have been touched by Leslie’s battle against leukemia and are joining the effort to find someone who can provide the bone marrow transplant that Leslie needs.
For the next three days, officials will be on hand at the Conway Fire Department to collect swab samples from firefighters as well as other emergency personnel in the community. They will be tested to see if anyone is a match for Leslie or anyone else on the registry in need of a bone marrow transplant.
On Friday, June 8, the Vilonia community is coming together to help as well with a community-wide drive.
The event is planned in conjunction with Be the Match Bone Marrow Registry. It will be held 5-8 p.m. at the Vilonia Fire Department.
“Not only is Leslie fighting for herself to get a bone marrow transplant but she’s an advocate for others,” said Amanda Norwood, a member of Team Leslie. “Please continue in our fight for Leslie and other leukemia patients! Our organization is dedicated to the process of making that happen but we need your help."
According to Amanda, organizers are asking for the community’s support by attending the event in Vilonia and getting swabbed. “With your help we can reach our goal of 200 swabs. Many business and community leaders are on board as well as hundreds of individuals.
“Our community is clearly excited and eager to see Leslie and other leukemia patients get a MATCH. You can be a part of that excitement by supporting “An Evening for Leslie” by getting swabbed, giving of your time or with a donation.”
After the Vilonia event, Eric plans to reach out to other fire departments across the state with a challenge that they too get involved. “Conway is the starting point,” he said. “We are calling it ‘Arkansas Firefighters Fighting for a Match.’”
According to Eric, in the five or six registry drives that have been held, five potential matches have been identified for others in need of a transplant. “That’s very encouraging. It’s not just Leslie we’re helping, it’s other folks.”
For more information, contact Eric at 501.514.0162 or [email protected] or Amanda at [email protected]. Information is also available at bethematchfoundation.org/goto/TeamLeslie.
