HARPER'S ROAR

    Harper's Roar

named Harper. 

I began this morning like most, drinking my coffee

and reading Yahoo news. 

The article on the sweets young family brings

me to the Facebook site called 

HARPERS ROAR

This sweet child was born with a rare condition

called SPINAL MUSCLE ATROPHY

something both her parents were carriers of

and didn't know before planning a family.

If you go on Facebook, you will see the picture

of the most precious baby girl who can

sit up, against what all medical professionals told her

family. Now her family fights for Harpers chance

at a new drug that is in its trial run.

Harper's condition would probably be helped 

by this experimental drug and yet, because of 

her age, she can not be a candidate. Her parent

fight for her right. So would I.

You see, 45 year ago, I was a 5 year old child,

born to a family who did not have much money.

I was the baby of seven and my parents were in their late

40's. They were told I had a type of cancer,

Wilms Tumor, that was incurable.

However, I was transferred to Touro Hospital in New Orleans

where there my parent met a doctor by the name

of Dr. Fisherman. He explained to my parents that

he could not save me, he had tried in the past

with other children who had this disease and

was unsuccessful to save any of them.

He did offer a trial he had been working on

and if my parents allowed him to treat me,

it may help other children who are diagnosed after me.

He also promised if they did this, he would never send 

them a bill, Imagine their fear when they signed their

5 year old child over to a man they did not know.

It was the best thing. I not only was his first patient

who survived the 5 year survival trial but

45 years later, I am still here.

What if this drug is the one that can save Harper's life.

Please go on her Facebook site called HARPER'S ROAR

and sign her petition, she deserves every chance at life

just as I did.

There is also a young girl on the bayou where I am from

who has just been diagnosed with my type of cancer,

Wilms' Tumor. It makes me happy to know that 

because of the things that were tried on me, 

this precious child will have the best chance at a

full life, just like I have had.