James M. Jeffords: “I am here today to ask for my colleagues' support for a resolution designating September as Leukemia, Lymphoma and…”

“I am here today to ask for my colleagues' support for a resolution designating September as Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month. Today, I want to speak specifically about leukemia, a disease that affects nearly 200,000 Americans. Leukemia is a devastating cancer of the blood that will kill almost 23,000 people this year alone. It is rare to find anyone today who does not know someone, a family member or a friend, who has battled leukemia. Recently, one of my former staff members, Jess Eiesland, was diagnosed with leukemia. He is only 28. He left my office in May of this year to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in finance. On June 18th, Jess was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, a form of the disease characterized by the uncontrolled production of immature white blood cells by the bone marrow. Jess is now back in South Dakota with his family and traveling to Minnesota to undergo an 11-week course of chemotherapy in preparation for a bone marrow transplant. In comparison, Jess is one of the lucky ones. His leukemia was caught early and he has just learned that his sister, Laura, is a bone marrow match. This match will reduce Jess' risk of developing severe side effects from the transplant or rejecting the new cells. Only 30 percent of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant have a matching donor in their families.…”