Annette Lizama is hoping that one of the people who registered for yesterday's bone marrow drive will be able to save her daughter's life. Lizama's daughter, 9-year-old Ricca Lizama, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML, on Dec. 5.
The Yigo mother said her daughter got sick a month ago with what doctors thought was bronchitis but was later diagnosed as AML.Doctors informed Lizama her daughter has a 50 percent chance of surviving.
"I was shocked and am shocked up until now," she said. Lizama said she rounded up all her family members yesterday to go down to the drive and become donors. She hopes there will be a match for her daughter.
"My family is small so I'm afraid I won't find a match," she said. Drive coordinator and Guam Medical Association President-elect Dr. Thomas Shieh said cancer patients need a bone marrow transplant to replenish the bone marrow that is destroyed during chemotherapy.
With a successful bone marrow transplant, the rate of survival is usually above 80 percent, he said. The association -- in partnership with the University of Guam's Student Government Association -- hosted the island's third bone marrow drive yesterday at the UOG Rotunda Student Center in Mangilao.
Shieh said about 302 people signed up to be donors. He was happy with the turnout, but said "we're not looking for numbers, per se. We're looking for quality donors -- donors who are willing to step up to the plate if they're called to be a donor."
"If we can find one donor that can save one life, the entire process is worth it," he said.
Guam's first drive, called the "Drive for Justice" was held in 2003 to help 5-year-old Justice Taitague, who had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In response, 3,049 volunteers showed up for screening. Taitague died of respiratory failure a week after the drive. Another Justice Bone Marrow Drive was held in April. More than 1,000 people signed up to be donors.
Justice Taitague's father was at yesterday's drive encouraging people to sign up. Anthony Taitague said he was present to share his daughter's story and "influence the people and let them be aware of the disease and what it can do to families."
Although the "Drive for Justice" wasn't able to help his daughter, Anthony Taitague hopes that one of the donors who signed up yesterday would be a match for someone. "I don't want a big house or a fancy car. I just want to be a match so I can my bone marrow," he said.
Anthony Taitague warns people not to take anything for granted and become a bone marrow donor as soon as possible.
"This is a very serious thing. There are thousands of kids waiting and there are thousands of kids that are going to be diagnosed. Justice wasn't the first and for sure she's not going to be the last," he said.
