The Military "Family"

Posted By Blackfive

Joe sends this AP article about Marines pulling together to help one of their own (BTW, the Marine in the article - LCpl LeBleu - has been featured here before):

March 08, 2005

Associated Press

LOMA LINDA, Calif. — Thousands of Marines have volunteered to have their blood tested to determine if they could be a potential bone marrow donor for one of their comrades who developed a life-threatening liver ailment after returning from Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Chris LeBleu of Lake Charles, La., was listed Sunday in fair condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he has been hospitalized since January, a hospital spokeswoman said.

LeBleu received an emergency liver transplant but now his body is not producing enough red blood cells and doctors say he may need a bone marrow transplant.

“This is just a bump in the road. It’s a big bump, but it’s something that we’re going to overcome together,” said his wife, Melany LeBleu. “He’s a fighter and he’s fighting even harder today.”

When news spread of LeBleu’s need, about 200 people donated blood or took tests to determine whether they would be suitable marrow donors.

In addition, 2,000 Marines volunteered to be tested at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, where LeBleu is stationed.

The Marine Corps expects another 5,000 Marines will be tested in the search for a suitable donor, said LeBleu’s wife, Melany.

Doctors expect to find no more than three or four potential matches among the group, his wife said.

The transplanted liver, which came from a 63-year-old woman from Littleton, Colo. who died in a New Mexico car crash, is functioning well, hospital spokeswoman Julie Smith said.

LeBleu returned from seven months of duty in Iraq in September and married his wife, Melany, a month later. She has said he began feeling ill in December, and it kept getting worse. By the end of January, his doctors said he was near death from total liver failure.

That's right.  About 7,000 Marines volunteering to help LeBleu...

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The Military "Family"

Joe sends this AP article about Marines pulling together to help one of their own (BTW, the Marine in the article - LCpl LeBleu - has been featured here before):

March 08, 2005

Associated Press

LOMA LINDA, Calif. — Thousands of Marines have volunteered to have their blood tested to determine if they could be a potential bone marrow donor for one of their comrades who developed a life-threatening liver ailment after returning from Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Chris LeBleu of Lake Charles, La., was listed Sunday in fair condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he has been hospitalized since January, a hospital spokeswoman said.

LeBleu received an emergency liver transplant but now his body is not producing enough red blood cells and doctors say he may need a bone marrow transplant.

“This is just a bump in the road. It’s a big bump, but it’s something that we’re going to overcome together,” said his wife, Melany LeBleu. “He’s a fighter and he’s fighting even harder today.”

When news spread of LeBleu’s need, about 200 people donated blood or took tests to determine whether they would be suitable marrow donors.

In addition, 2,000 Marines volunteered to be tested at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, where LeBleu is stationed.

The Marine Corps expects another 5,000 Marines will be tested in the search for a suitable donor, said LeBleu’s wife, Melany.

Doctors expect to find no more than three or four potential matches among the group, his wife said.

The transplanted liver, which came from a 63-year-old woman from Littleton, Colo. who died in a New Mexico car crash, is functioning well, hospital spokeswoman Julie Smith said.

LeBleu returned from seven months of duty in Iraq in September and married his wife, Melany, a month later. She has said he began feeling ill in December, and it kept getting worse. By the end of January, his doctors said he was near death from total liver failure.

That's right.  About 7,000 Marines volunteering to help LeBleu...

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