FAITH GIVES WOMAN THE FIGHT TO LIVE : TRAINING, FAMILY AID IN BATTLE AGAINST LEUKEMIA.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer Regina Carter Regina Carter (b. 1966) is an American jazz violinist. Carter was born in Detroit, Michigan, and began as a classical violinist but became increasingly interested in jazz , and is considered one of the finest violinists in the genre. will never forget Thanksgiving four years ago - a day she had hoped to spend with family and friends, embracing life's blessings with her loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl . But the memory she envisioned never appeared. On Thanksgiving Day 1992, Carter was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia lymphoblastic leukemia n. A type of lymphocytic leukemia characterized by abnormal, often immature, lymphocytic cells or by the presence of unusually large numbers of immature lymphocytes occurring together with adult lymphocytes. , a very rare form of the disease. Now facing the certainty of dying unless she receives a bone marrow transplant bone marrow transplant: see bone marrow. , Carter's conviction is clear on this day of thanks. ``I think getting leukemia was a blessing in disguise,'' said Carter, 29. ``I believe the Lord allows these things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music Video The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. to happen to make us strong and humble, and to teach us how to help others. I believe God has a purpose for everybody.'' In Ventura County, Carter is among 117 people awaiting a compatible donor, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. 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. in Minneapolis. Ninety of these people are younger than 20 and from various ethnic backgrounds. A drive to find a compatible donor for Carter and other needy patients is being held Sunday during the Ventura Street Fair. If Carter finds one perfect marrow donor, her chance at survival is 50 percent. The odds of finding that match - one in 20,000. But Carter sneers at the statistics. ``I don't live my life like I have cancer,'' said Carter, who lives on an orchard in Santa Paula with her husband, John, and sons John Jr., 15, and Justin, 8. ``I have to be brave. I've got a husband, and I've got kids. I'm not ready to give in.'' A former corrections officer in Ventura County and member of the National Guard Military Police since 1989, Carter served nine months in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm and on the streets of Los Angeles during the 1992 riots. Standing 5-foot-6, the sturdy, hazel-eyed brunette has been trained for combat through years of gun drills, thousands of push-ups and endless miles jogged during basic training. Accustomed to survival tactics, Carter continued to perform physically taxing drills despite occasional night sweats and headaches that began in 1991. Over several months, her energy level slowly dropped. But Carter's unflagging patriotism - combined with the demands of supporting a family - pushed aside her body's warning signs. ``I had just about every classic sign you could have, I was just in denial in denial Psychiatry To be in a state of denying the existence or effects of an ego defense mechanism. See Denial. ,'' Carter said. ``I'm just one of those macho female types. And the symptoms got worse and worse.'' By 1992, she was suffering from severe bruising, debilitating de·bil·i·tat·ing adj. Causing a loss of strength or energy. Debilitating Weakening, or reducing the strength of. Mentioned in: Stress Reduction weakness and paralyzing headaches. After being diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia, she filed a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Federal officials denied her claim, however, saying they could not connect Carter's leukemia with her Desert Storm tour because she had not been treated for the fatal disease within one year of her service, documents say. Carter appealed the ruling in 1994, claiming that her leukemia was contracted by exposure to fuel contamination in her company's portable water supply, which was delivered in converted fuel tanks. ``We were told not to drink the water,'' Carter's claim states. ``But they had us wash our clothes, our eating utensils, and bathe in the contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. water. Everybody in my unit was sick. My Persian Gulf duty, at the very least, damaged my immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. .'' Carter's appeal is pending. Meanwhile, she remains optimistic that chemotherapy treatments and a search for a marrow donor will save her life. A volunteer for the National Marrow Donor Program, she keeps busy performing office work and educating the public on the urgent need for marrow donors. She also enjoys the peace in her orchard as she cares for the family's ducks, doves and pigeons. Still with the 649th Military Police stationed in San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (săn l  `ĭs ōbĭs`pō), city (1990 pop. 41,958), seat of San Luis Obispo co., S Calif., near San Luis Obispo Bay; inc. 1856. , Carter continues to perform routine drills - when she has the strength. The most disappointing day since her diagnosis was when she recently discovered her company has been ordered to serve in either Bosnia or Germany. ``I know it sounds crazy, but I feel bad that I'm not going with them,'' Carter said. ``This is what we're trained for. I'm not saying that I like war - but these guys are a part of my family and I hate to see them go off by themselves.'' Until the next call to duty, Carter will rely on her soldier instinct to make it through tough times ahead. ``I'm a fighter and I am fighting it,'' Carter said. ``I don't think I'm going to lose this battle.'' THE FACTS WHAT: Children For Tomorrow Marrow Drive, conducted by the National Marrow Donor Program WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. WHERE: Ventura Street Fair, behind the E.P. Foster Library, 651 E. Main St., Ventura INFORMATION: (805) 987-6935. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--ran in CONEJO and AV only) Regina Carter holds a photo of herself and her son taken four years ago, before she was diagnosed with leukemia. (2--Ran in SIMI SIMI Sea Ice Mechanics Initiative SIMI Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SIMI Society of Irish Motor Industry SIMI Smallholder Irrigation Markets Initiative and CONEJO editions--color) Regina Carter holds a photo of herself and her son before she was diagnosed. Tina Gerson/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion