"Before, when I heard the word cancer, I'd think, 'Oh my God, that poor person,' " she said. "But it's a gift—it really is. You learn so much about yourself and life. It's incredible."

Her faith and efforts reach outside her own fight for life—she has raised enough money to fund a local bone marrow drive on behalf of all patients nationwide who need bone marrow transplants and are looking for donors. The drive will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Live Oak Adult Day Services, located near the Willow Glen Library.

Diagnosis

Cole, a stay-at-home mother of two, went in for her annual OB/GYN appointment in September 2001 with vague complaints of fatigue and bruising easily. When a blood test revealed low counts of platelets and red and white blood cells, she was sent to a hematologist and subsequently diagnosed with a form of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disorder in which the bone marrow does not function properly and not enough normal blood cells are made. MDS is a disease that typically affects people over the age of 60, but Cole is only 41.

Then, in March of 2002, Cole was also diagnosed with leukemia.

"I was totally blindsided," she said of the diagnoses. "I had no idea."

Last June, Cole was hospitalized for five weeks and received one week of chemotherapy to kill the leukemia. To date, the treatment has been successful, and Cole is grateful.

"I have two small children. It was very difficult being in the hospital that long, away from them," she said. "I'm lucky that I can deal with this outside of the hospital." Mostly, that is. She still sees a doctor twice a week, and since her July 22 release date, she's had to return to Stanford Medical Center for a daily injection.

Ridding her body of the cancerous cells was only the first step toward eliminating the disease, however. Now that she is leukemia-free, Cole's been cleared for the necessary bone marrow transplant, if only she can find a donor.

Bone marrow transplants depend on finding a donor whose tissue closely matches the recipient's DNA. Matches are often found within the recipient's family, but if not, donors must be sought from the general population. Successful finds are at long odds, which is why it is so crucial to test broadly.

Cole's search began in April with family and friends, and then opened into a nationwide search that offered several prospects but no compatible matches. In the meantime, when Cole's platelet and white and red blood cell counts are below a healthy level, she has transfusions. So far she's had four platelet transfusions and two blood transfusions. It's likely she will continue on this path until a blood marrow match is found.

"It's just my opinion," she said, "but I don't think a body can take too many transfusions. I'm very positive though, and like looking at the glass half-full."

While Cole admits that her doctor is hesitant to consider her leukemia officially in remission, they don't talk about a final prognosis and remain doggedly hopeful.

"I'm in a holding pattern right now," she said. "I feel really good. The support I've received from friends and family and even people I don't know has been incredible."

Matchmaking

Cole, her husband, Steve, son, Richard, who is 4, and daughter Kathryn, nearly 3, have raised $8,000 for the drive with the help of family and friends, as well as friends of friends, by sending out an email to about 60 of their core supporters, to whom Cole continues to send regular updates after her doctor's appointments.

What is important to realize about a bone marrow drive is that a participant can become a potential donor to anyone in the national bank whom their marrow matches. According to the National Marrow Donor Program, more than 30,000 people per year are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases that require bone marrow transplants. In truth, it is statistically unlikely this Saturday's drive will yield a personal match for Cole, but, as she has firmly stated, "a match is a match!"

"I have friends who go to Stanford all the time to test for compatibility," Cole said. "They are told that it's not just for one person—it's for everyone. The bone marrow drive is just to increase the numbers in the registry."

Those who participate in Cole's drive will be shown an informational video, then taken to another room to complete paperwork. It is necessary to provide three addresses that the participant can be reached at, or contact information of friends and family members who can locate the participant in the case of a personal address change.

The third step is the HLA typing—a finger is pricked and five drops of blood are put on a card and sent to the National Marrow Donor Program's data bank. It takes about one month for the information to be added to the registry of donors and about two months from the time a match is located for a transplant to occur. If there is a recipient who is a potential match, the participant will be contacted at a later date for two more phases of testing.

Cole will be present at the drive during the morning and for as long as she has the strength. She noted cheerfully that she'll be "the one with the bald head." After only one week of chemotherapy, hair falls out over the course of the next three weeks. Each day her kids were checking her progress.

"My son wanted a wig, and I started out with it in the beginning," she said, "but it's more comfortable to be without it. My son was worried about people making fun of me, so it's been good for him to see them accepting it. I tell you, the human spirit is incredible. There're a lot of good people out there."

The blood marrow drive will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m.­2 p.m., at Live Oak Adult Services, 1147 Minnesota Ave., San Jose, by the Willow Glen Library. For more information on marrow and blood stem cell transplants, visit www.marrow.org.