Mother of 3 unable to pay for lifesaving transplant
BELLEVUE - It seemed like a simple question at school. Nine-year-old Anahi Romero of Bellevue asked her teacher how to spell leukemia.
"I said 'let's go to the dictionary,'" says Shirley Zapata, who thought "OK, this is a red flag for me."
What Zapata, a teacher at Sherwood Forest Elementary, learned is that Anahi's mother Iliana was diagnosed with leukemia. She learned that the mother of three didn't have the money to pay for a bone marrow transplant -- her only chance at survival.
"My body's been hurting. Yesterday, I had a biopsy," Iliana told me through interpreter, Jessica Soto. "It's to see how far the cancer had advanced."
The other day, Iliana and her family got some great news. Insurance will pay for most of the cost of transplant, but not all. They're still short.
"At this time I think it's $80,000," she said.
The community has raised $6,000 so far from students and their parents, as well as from merchants in the Bellevue area.
The National Transplant Assistance Fund has established a fund raising campaign - "NTAF Northwest Stem Cell Transplant Fund" - in honor of Iliana Romero. Also, Iliana has a web site with information on how you can help.
Friends of Iliana are holding a fundraiser Sunday, May 6 at Crossroads Bellevue at the Mall. There will be musical entertainment and raffle drawings. The event will feature local musicians, several schools' performing arts groups and the Sherwood Forest Elementary Chimes group. You can find more information about the event on Iliana's web site.
"I said 'let's go to the dictionary,'" says Shirley Zapata, who thought "OK, this is a red flag for me."
What Zapata, a teacher at Sherwood Forest Elementary, learned is that Anahi's mother Iliana was diagnosed with leukemia. She learned that the mother of three didn't have the money to pay for a bone marrow transplant -- her only chance at survival.
"My body's been hurting. Yesterday, I had a biopsy," Iliana told me through interpreter, Jessica Soto. "It's to see how far the cancer had advanced."
The other day, Iliana and her family got some great news. Insurance will pay for most of the cost of transplant, but not all. They're still short.
"At this time I think it's $80,000," she said.
The community has raised $6,000 so far from students and their parents, as well as from merchants in the Bellevue area.
The National Transplant Assistance Fund has established a fund raising campaign - "NTAF Northwest Stem Cell Transplant Fund" - in honor of Iliana Romero. Also, Iliana has a web site with information on how you can help.
Friends of Iliana are holding a fundraiser Sunday, May 6 at Crossroads Bellevue at the Mall. There will be musical entertainment and raffle drawings. The event will feature local musicians, several schools' performing arts groups and the Sherwood Forest Elementary Chimes group. You can find more information about the event on Iliana's web site.