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Hi:
Those of you who have been on this or any other list to which I am subscribed will recognize the name of Dr. Koller, my MD Anderson hematologist. In the past three years, he has been the first and only hematologist from Houston who has participated in the Houston Police Bicycle Relay Team for two years in a row. Last year he found out that he had a large tumor on one of his kidneys and had to have it removed. Consequently, he missed the bicycle relay of 2004.
The Houston Police Department has participated in this relay for the last 23 years and by now has collected more than 1 million dollars in contributions for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each member of the police department uses his/her own vacation time for this purpose. It is an amazing effort to collect funds to help leukemia patients.
I just found out that this year, just a year after having had this serious operation, Dr. Koller is once a again a member of the Houston Police Bicycle Relay for 2005. The relay starts May 28 in Houston, Texas, and ends on June 3 at Lake Tahoe, California. This is a distance of 2310 miles--as Dr. Koller puts it, "2310 miles closer to the cure".
His letter indicates that people have asked him why not do something for people with kidney cancer; however, he "truly believes that leukemia research represents a window into all cancers. That what we can learn from discovering and treating leukemia problems will be applicable to all cancers." For this reason, he is once again riding for leukemia.
I just wanted you all to know that there are very dedicated people in this world who spend their own time and money for a worthy cause that will benefit not only leukemia patients, but patients of every other type of cancer as well.
For that reason I would like to urge all of you to make a contribution in any amount you can afford for this purpose. If you can contribute, please make your check out to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and send it to the following address:
Charles A. Koller, MD
MD Anderson Cancer Center--Box 428
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030-4009
I want to thank all of you in advance who are able to contribute to this worthy cause.
Margot
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