Asked to describe her friend, Erica Harris, Kara Hoffman doesn’t miss a beat.
“Once you’ve met her she’s a hard woman to forget,” said Hoffman, “short dark funky hair, huge smile, smart as a whip, and a personality that can light a dim room.”
Hoffman is one of Harris’ many friends putting out a plea to help the North Vancouver chiropractor, who is battling acute mylogenous leukemia and is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant.
“She is desperately in need of finding a ‘one in a million’ match for a bone marrow transplant,” said Hoffman.
Harris is a former Vernon resident who came to the city in 2003 to help out fellow chiropractor Rick Latta while he tested out the waters in the U.S.
She was still Erica Holmes when she arrived in the Okanagan, a place she loved.
“She felt like Vernon welcomed her with open arms,” said Hoffman. “Although her time here was short, she impacted many patients and made many friends. Erica is now asking Vernonites and people all over the world to hear her plea for help.
“Her story has been going viral for weeks now and the response is staggering.”
Hoffman said people from all walks of life are logging onto www.onematch.ca to see if they are eligible to be a donor.
Erica has been at Vancouver General Hospital since June 6, with her husband Harley by her side. Her two little boys are being taken care of by family and friends.
She has been fighting tirelessly at ridding her body of the bad leukemic cells while building strong “fighter” cells.
“The urgency in her plea cannot be underestimated. She needs to find a match immediately.”
Hoffman said the process is simple.
Log onto www.onematch.ca, read the information provided and take a short 10 question true or false quiz (just to make sure you understand the process). Give details about yourself, and answer a short medical questionnaire. Push the submit icon and wait to hear from one match by phone. You will receive a cheek swab kit in the mail shortly after this.
Once you perform the cheek swab kit, it gets mailed back to the organization.
“Time is of the essence so please do not wait to return this kit. Being prompt is crucial.
“Then you wait to see if you are a hero to Erica or any of the 900 people in Canada currently waiting for a bone marrow transplant. Just imagine the feeling of knowing you helped save a life by donating your bone marrow.”
