VETERAN, MOTHER DIES OF CANCER : SERVICES TODAY.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Regina Carter, a National Guard veteran and mother of two who was diagnosed with leukemia Thanksgiving Day in 1992, died Tuesday at age 29.

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.

Friends remembered Carter on Thursday for her bravery - a devoted mother, wife and soldier who fought for her country as hard as she fought her private battle against a silent enemy.

``She lived with the conviction that getting cancer was just a path that God chose her to go down to make her stronger, humble, and to teach her the importance of helping others,'' said Lynnette Chandler, Carter's friend and regional coordinator for the Ventura County Branch of the National Marrow Donor Program.

In Ventura County, Carter was among 117 people awaiting a compatible donor, according to the National Marrow Donor Program in Minneapolis. If Carter had found one perfect marrow donor, her chance at survival would have been 50 percent. The odds of finding that match - 1 in 20,000.

But Carter always sneered at the statistics.

The day before she checked into City of Hope hospital for treatment in December, Carter was busy recruiting donors at a bone marrow drive at the Ventura County Street Fair.

``I'm a Christian. The Lord gives everyone a purpose,'' Carter said at the time. ``I didn't know until I got sick that my purpose was to encourage more people to get tested and help save other people's lives.''

Throughout her illness, Carter volunteered for Children for Tomorrow, which recruits unrelated marrow donors. She also volunteered for Friends of Wildlife, which cares for hurt or abandoned animals until a permanent home can be found.

The brunette with hazel eyes enjoyed the peace in her orchard, where she cared for her family's ducks, doves and pigeons. Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her husband, John, and two sons - John Jr., 15, and Justin, 9.

On the afternoon Carter died, she was surrounded by dozens of friends and family. A doll dressed in a military uniform like the one Carter wore in Desert Storm remained by her bedside.

Justin Carter, who colored a picture from his Sunday school book in the hospital waiting room that day, gave the keepsake to his mother before saying goodbye.

``She'll be missed,'' said Chandler, who was with Carter when she died. ``She was a fighter to the end.''

Despite occasional night sweats and headaches that began in 1991, Carter continued to engage in physically taxing drills in the National Guard.

Over several months, her energy level slowly dropped. But Carter's unflagging patriotism - combined with supporting a family - pushed aside her body's warning signs.

By 1992, she was suffering from severe bruising, debilitating weakness and paralyzing headaches. After being diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia - a very rare form of the disease - she filed a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Federal officials denied her claim, saying they couldn't connect Carter's leukemia with her Desert Storm duty because she had not been treated for the fatal disease within one year of her service, according to VA documents.

Carter appealed the ruling in 1994, claiming she contracted leukemia because her company's water supply was contaminated.

Chandler, who met Carter the year she was diagnosed with cancer, believes Carter would have beaten the odds had more bone marrow donors had stepped forward.

``Every patient has a match - there's a donor out there for everyone,'' Chandler said. ``So many people say that they've been thinking about being a donor. Stop thinking about it, do it. Stop putting it off. If Regina had a donor early on, she'd still be with us.''

Now, Chandler is dedicated to fulfilling Carter's last wish.

On Dec. 1 - the day of the marrow drive in Ventura - Carter made Chandler promise she would never stop seeking donors.

``It was extremely important to her,'' said Chandler, fighting back tears. ``I will keep my promise.''

For more information about becoming a bone marrow donor, call the Ventura County Branch of the National Marrow Donor Program, [phone].

A funeral for Regina Carter will be held at 1 p.m. today at First Southern Baptist Church of Santa Paula, 217 N. 10th St. For information, call the church at [phone].

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