Harrison Padua Leonardo Memorial Fund

Rest In Peace
On Thursday July 19, 2007, 3 year-old Harrison Leonardo finally lost his fight with Leukemia.

It had been a while since I last checked out his mother's journal and I decided to see how things were progressing since his cord blood transfusion. I was actually expecting to read some good news about his recovery and unfortunately that was not the case. Through his mother's journal, I felt like I was really getting to know Harrison and his family. As I read some of her entries, I would laugh when she told a story about something funny that Harrison did, or get choked up when she would describe the pain and agony he suffered throughout his treatment. No longer. His mom and dad have posted a farewell letter to their son. It is touching and very heart breaking to read. It's actually taken me several times to try and finish reading it since I keep breaking out in tears. I cannot even begin to imagine the depths of pain and sorrow his parents are feeling. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to his family. A memorial fund has been established in Harrison's name. Donations of any amount can be sent to the following address:

SF Fire Credit Union
C/O Harrison Padua Memorial Fund
3201 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94118

Please make checks payable to "Harrison Padua Leonardo Memorial Fund, Account #100314.S1.1"


Still Hope for Elyse Yu
There is still time and hope to help others suffering from these rare blood diseases. 6 month-old Elyse Yu still has a fighting chance. She has begun chemotherapy while she desperately awaits a bone marrow donor. So far Elyse's family and friends have registered nearly 2,000 new donors. Donation drives continue in the Southern California area and across the nation. Please register and get the word out if you haven't already. I hope and pray they find a donor for her soon. Visit Elyse's web site for more about her story and how you can help.