BROTHERLY LOVE; SIBLING HELPS MAN BEAT ILLNESS.

Byline: Sharline Chiang Daily News Staff Writer

Jeff Maurer went to donate some blood one day to help out a fellow Ventura County firefighter's little girl who was fighting leukemia.

But when his own blood sample turned up ``irregular'' it was Maurer's own life at stake.

Within days, the broad-shouldered, athletic Simi Valley man who made a living fighting fires learned he faced a different kind of battle. Maurer also had leukemia.

``I thought, `No way, you must be crazy.' I thought they had the wrong slides,'' said the 35-year-old, recalling doctors' prognosis. ``I'm used to rescuing people, not people rescuing me.''

Nearly two years after a bone marrow transplant, he's healthy again and spending more time with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, Rachel, and enjoying hobbies like skiing. He admittedly takes life less seriously too.

His younger brother, Gregory, 30, who donated the crucial bone marrow, likes to poke fun. ``I joke that now he's good-looking and has a nicer personality because he has my genes,'' Gregory said with a chuckle.

As well as serving as an engineer for the Ventura Fire Protection District, Maurer now adds a new title to his name. Survivor.

With his bright yellow fire engine in tow Friday, Maurer joined 600 survivors at the City of Hope's 21st annual ``Celebration of Life'' reunion at the dewy base of the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena. All successfully received bone marrow transplants after being diagnosed with cancer.

Under tents dotted with red, white and blue helium balloons, survivors, donors and healers spent the day catching up on the green lawns of the renowned cancer treatment center, the National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute.

Many survivors said they would return every year to remember this very special place and the angelic staff who saved them.

At the reunion, hugs and kisses were exchanged among doctors and nurses and the scores of survivors of various ages and ethnicities. For staffers of the transplant program, the second-largest of its kind in the world, it was a moment to cherish the results.

``People in the hospital, in their windows, are looking out and want to be out here,'' said Dr. Stephen J. Forman, director of the center's the department of hematology and bone marrow transplantation. ``And it's our job to get them here.''

While adults filled themselves on fruit salad and sandwiches, children sat for face-paintings. In one corner, a clown crafted balloon animals; in another, artists quickly sketched caricatures for those patiently waiting in long lines.

Though the scene resembled a giant picnic, what most transplant recipients had to endure was anything but that, survivors said.

Aside from side-effects from chemotherapy, many were fed through an intravenous tube after the transplant and were highly susceptible to germs. Bob Sabine, a 28-year-old from Santa Clarita, also was celebrating Friday.

Sabine was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago. Fortunately, his sister Tammy's marrow was a perfect match.

Now one of his goals is to encourage more people to donate bone marrow.

``Some people think it's painful, but it's not,'' he said. ``You may be weak and tired for a couple of days. But it's a small inconvenience. You're giving someone a new chance at life.''

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PHOTO (color) Jeff Maurer, right, hugs his brother, Greg, who donated the bone marrow that staved off leukemia, at Friday's event.

David Sprague/Daily News