My name is Mark Phillps and I just turned 78 years old on Friday. I am being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia at UC San Francisco, a cancer in the bone marrow that cause the body not to produce cells we need for survival like white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets. All of these are way below the normal range and I have been receiving many transfusions of red blood and platelets for many years (now 3 times a week) in an effort to improve the levels so I might qualify for a bone marrow transplant which offers the only real possibility of a cure.

The pretty lady in the photo above is my friend Emma Martinez from Ensenada. Baja Norte, Mex. In the other pictures, she is shown at her mother's bedside in the hospital after hip surgery. The surgery was successful, and her mother is now in Emma's house until she can get back on her feet and return to her home. There is a picture of her father Carlos who Emma took care of for several years in her house until he nearly reached 101. And a picture of me receiving blood transfusion for my leukemia.

Emma works as a house cleaner and makes very little pesos, so I have always tried to help with her bills when she runs out of gas, electricity and water. We also went out for coffee and excellent meals.

The purpose of this fund raiser is to help pay medical bills, medications needed for the transplant, travel expenses and most important, helping Emma earn legal status so she could travel to the U.S. and become my full-time care giver during the 2 or 3 months I will be recovering from the transplant as the donor's marrow takes hold and begins to produce good blood cells. It's a long and scary process, but Emma is very excited to do this and is the only person I know that is capable and caring enough to help me. Without a caregiver, I cannot get the transplant and certainly don't expect to be alive for my next birthday.

Please help raise these funds with any amount you feel comfortable with.

Sincerely,

Mark Phillips