A BEAUTIFUL THING TO DO PAGEANT QUEEN HELPS FIND MARROW DONORS.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer Teen beauty queen Hilary Gushwa believes things happen for a reason. During a beauty pageant two years ago, the Moorpark girl made a heartfelt connection with fellow contestant Brandi Dias, who had been diagnosed with leukemia leukemia (l  kē`mēə), cancerous disorder of the blood-forming tissues (bone marrow, lymphatics, liver, spleen) characterized by excessive production of immature or mature and had lost her hair and sensation in both
legs.
Although neither girl won the grand prize, they both came away winners. Dias eventually gained control of her cancer and Gushwa found a calling. Inspired by her friend's illness, the former Miss Teen Moorpark started ``Heart 2 Heart'' to promote awareness about the national Marrow Donor Program The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that operates the federally funded registry of volunteer hematopoietic cell donors in the United States. These potential donors, numbering more than 6. . During the past two years, she has raised $5,000 for her program, and hosted three bone marrow drives, which screened a total of 200 possible donors and even identified two potential matches. A fourth drive in association with the City of Hope will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Flory Elementary School elementary school: see school. , 240 Flory Drive. ``I wanted to do what I could to help,'' said Gushwa, 18, a senior at Moorpark High School Moorpark High School, located in Moorpark, California, is a public high school in the Moorpark Unified School District and currently has an enrollment of 2,478 students.[1] and captain of the cheerleading The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. squad. ``I wanted to help her find a match.'' What's more, Gushwa has continued her efforts despite her own health problems. In December 1999, shortly after hosting a fund raiser A Fund Raiser' is an organized event, attempting to collect money. The money to be collected is usually for a specific item or need. The event also can entail gimmicks or activities to promote donor interest. for her newly founded organization, she was diagnosed with super-ventricular tachycardia tachycardia: see arrhythmia. tachycardia Heart rate over 100 (as high as 240) beats per minute. When it is a normal response to exercise or stress, it is no danger to healthy people, but when it originates elsewhere, it is an arrhythmia. , a condition that causes the heart to race and sometimes to skip several beats. ``I just think she's a very unique young lady,'' said Alicia Accardi, assistant coordinator with City of Hope in charge of recruitment for the national Marrow Donor Program. ``She's working very hard to educate people.'' Though most of her heart problems have been cured through a series of surgeries, Gushwa still suffers from an irregular heartbeat. ``I'm proud of myself,'' said Gushwa, who remains focused on the program. ``It takes a lot of work and it's hard, even when you really care for something. But it's really rewarding.'' And after all, Gushwa has Dias - and fate - to thank for her efforts. ``I'm one of those people who thinks that things happen for a reason,'' Gushwa said. ``I think I was led to the pageant to meet with her. I'm glad I did.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Miss Teen Moorpark Hilary Gushwa has started a ``Heart 2 Heart'' program, which helps find bone marrow donors. During the past two years, she has raised $5,000 for her program and hosted three bone marrow drives. Michael Owen
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