DONOR NEEDED FOR BOY WITH LEUKEMIA.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

David Rowe was 9 years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia - a disease so unfamiliar to the boy and his family that his father had to look it up in an encyclopedia.

``I had heard things about it but didn't know exactly what it was,'' said Steve Rowe, David's father, who soon learned his son had blood cancer. ``It opened a whole new chapter in our lives - learning about pain and suffering on a much deeper level than I thought we'd ever know.''

As missionaries to Brazil for Simi Valley Community Church, Steve and his wife, Debra, are familiar with pain and suffering - rebuilding impoverished lives in many of Brazil's slum neighborhoods for the past eight years.

But pain came home the afternoon of June 17, 1994, when doctors told Debra over the phone that her son had leukemia.

``The first thing I thought was, how am I going to tell him?'' said Debra, who had listened silently to the doctor's words as David watched for his mother's reaction. ``I told him he'd have to be very brave - and have faith.''

That faith has been the thread holding together David's hope and courage - a thread kept strong despite the excruciating chemotherapy, sleepless nights and endless days inside a sterilized hospital room.

Now, the family is investing that faith in a stranger - an anonymous bone marrow donor they pray will be a perfect match for David. Their hope is that a bone marrow drive today will be a successful first step toward David's recovery.

``It could save his life,'' Debra said.

This year, an estimated 27,600 new cases of leukemia are expected in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. These numbers are divided between acute and chronic leukemia.

Although often thought of as primarily a childhood disease, leukemia is expected to strike many more adults - 24,800 - than children - 2,800 - this year, statistics show.

David's diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia accounts for one of roughly 1,600 cases of leukemia among children reported in 1996, officials said. In adults, the most common types are acute myelocytic - 6,800 cases - and chronic lymphocytic - 7,200 cases.

Leukemia strikes both sexes and all ages, and its cause is unknown.

Roughly 21,000 people died of the disease this year, with the one-year survival rate standing at 63 percent.

But in children like David with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the five-year survival rate has increased from 53 percent to 78 percent, officials said.

Because symptoms of leukemia often resemble less serious conditions, David's parents were not alarmed when the boy began suffering headaches, fatigue and muscle soreness during his last month in third grade.

When David suddenly grew pale and developed a throat and sinus infection, his parents thought he might be anemic and took him to the doctor.

Since his diagnosis two years ago, David has endured months of chemotherapy, most of the treatments performed in Brazil. Steve and Debra believed the disease was under control until last month, when doctors found unusual cell formations during David's routine blood test.

While they had the choice to search for a bone marrow donor in Brazil, David's family decided to come to America because the procedure itself has been practiced here longer, Steve said.

Since David checked in on April 29 at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, his parents have held a round-the-clock vigil at his bedside.

When the boy is not resting from chemotherapy, he spends his time playing Monopoly and reading Portuguese comic books from Brazil. Sometimes he plays video games - anything to pass the time until he finds that perfect match.

HOW TO HELP

MARROW DONORS: A blood test for potential bone marrow donors is scheduled for 1 to 6 p.m. today at Simi Valley Community Church, 2000 Royal Ave. To be a donor, one must be 18 to 60 years old and in good general health.

The testing cost for compatibility is $22.50. Once tested, the individual's name and other information are placed on the National Marrow Donor Program register. Should a donor not be compatible with David Rowe, the donor may be eligible to give to another person in the future.

INFORMATION: Contact Maureen Rauchfuss, donor drive chairwoman, [phone].

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: Leukemia patient David Rowe is joined at City o f Hope National Medical Center by, from left, his brother Jonathan; Dr. James Miser; his father, Steve; his sister Krista; and his mother, Debra.

Bob Halvorsen/Daily News

Box: HOW TO HELP (see text)