Recent Letters and Communications

• Thank you letter to the EDF (click for image)

March 26,2008

Subject: Discover article about Eric

Dear Mr. Drew:
I just finished reading the Discover Magazine article about your amazing story.  I cannot even believe the adversity you’ve been through—it’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard, especially your drive and will to get better and survive!  I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated reading about your life and struggle to be healthy again and I wish you a long life, unblemished by illness and full of happiness.

Best wishes, Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld, Portland, Maine

6 APR 2008

Subject: Please help me Eric.  Please brother.

Eric,

      Hello sir.  I have an immune disorder.  Its called Neuro-Behcet's disease.  Its very bad and its taking its toll on me.  I saw your video on utube and its my story as well.  I am 28 years old and I have done alot.  I was a Marine for four years.  I volunteered at ground zero for 2 years and I fought in Iraq for three years.  During all this I managed to get a degree in criminal justice.  Bachelors.  It was very difficult but I did it.  Im afraid I need help now and dont know where to turn.  Please help me.  Im desperate.  My illness just recently attacked my brain and spine.  The docs have put me on cytoxan and heavy prenisone.  You know how that is.  I just want my life back like you got yours back.  Your story is incredible.  I been helping people all my life for the last 10 years, but Im afraid I cant do that anymor e.  I want to.  I was scheduled to go into the DEA after my time in Iraq   but now cant run or hold my urine.  The doctors have tried bt no improvement.  I live alone and my mom helps take care of me now.  SHe is very caring and loving but this is taking its toll on her too.  She is possibly suffering more than I am watching her only son come back in one piece from Iraq and get dealt this blow.  Im not asking to be a millionaire or anything extravegant,  I just want my life back like you got yours back.  Please help me Eric.  You know where Im at and you know my desperation.  Please Eric, please help me.  I wanna live a normal and decent life, thats all.  Please call me so I can talk to you.  Maybe you have information that can turn this all around for me and make me the happist man on earth. 

Please Eric I beg you.  Help me.

6 MAR 2008

To: Fernandez, Lisa
Subject: Your Article on Eric Drew

Hi Lisa.....

I read your article on Eric Drew in the Mercury News..... what a tough several years Eric has had. I'm deeply saddened to hear of his ongoing health issues: "He's been undergoing severe joint replacement surgeries, first his hip, then his ankle, and last week, his knee......... the side effects of all the steroids and drugs he took are now causing his bones to break and die."

I'm Program Chairman for a local SIR group. Eric Drew spoke to us on February 15, 2006. We were and still are much impressed with Eric and how he battled all that was against him, medically, financially, and even politically.

He is the most driven person I have ever been fortunate enough to meet. Everything about him is worthy of admiration. Since you have spoken to him recently, you are surely taken by his strength of character and determination towards his beliefs and goals, in spite of all that fate has dealt him.

Thanks for updating us on Eric. I'll be passing on your article to our members.

Sincerely,

Bob Edwards

6 MAR 2008

Hello Eric,

With all my heart & soul, I truly appreciate hearing from you.  I was feeling bad and upset last night.  Mark has been having a couple of tough days.  It is heartbreaking.  Your email really uplifted my spirits.  I am ready to plan our next moves.  I am the oldest of my siblings, my parents have made their transitions.  I have gracious been named the matriarch of family.  I love that title.  I want to do everything I can to help our family get through this health challenge.  I have called my brother and told him about your website. 

I look forward to talking to you...

Much gratitude,

18 JAN 2007

Subject: my son has CML

20 DECEMBER 2007 - Palo Alto, CA

Hi Eric, I got your foundation's name from Alicia Delgrande (she is in my mother's club). I have a friend who is trying to raise money for a bone marrow stem cell transplant. She is paying out of pocket (Kaiser denied it) at the MD Anderson Cancer Clinic in Houston TX. She has to raise a total of $235K. I think she is well on her way but time is critical since the cancer is very aggressive. She is hoping to have the transplant around the 12th of December.

How do you decide if your foundation is a fit? Is there an application to fill out. She has inflammatory breast cancer, diagnosed at IVb. Kaiser missed it at stage II (Texas clinic figured this out).

She is 37 years old, born and raised in SF. Currently unable to work and has exhausted her personal savings and the trust her mother left her (she died of breast cancer a couple of years ago).

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Gina Vasiloudis

04 October 2007 - Cherry Hill, NJ

Hi Eric. I wanted to say thank you and let you know just how much I enjoyed listening to your presentation tonight. I listened intently with tears in my eyes but left with a smile on my face.. Your strength during adversity was amazing.

As I told you, my OB never even mentioned the option of cord blood banking when I had either of my sons, now 5 and 16 months old.

I now feel personally responsible to educate the patients in my office. It is my job to gather important information to present to our new OB patients. You can be sure that they WILL learn their options when it comes to cord blood banking.

Thank you again for such and inspiring evening. I can's wait to read your book! I must say you are the most amazing 3 year old Italian girl I have ever met.
:o)

Jessica Chando

26 September 2007

Hi Eric,

My name is Anne Dominion. I spoke to you 4-2006. You sent me your emails with your links. My brother had AML and with your info and chat with me it gave him so much comfort. He is now a "survivor" of AML. I am asking you if you can reach out to someone's who's story we have been following since my brother has AML. She also has AML and has had all the up's and down's (currently very down) of a lot of leukemia victims. I have never met her. I have only sent her emails. She has a wonderful website that has helped so many people with leukemia. I think if you read thru maybe you can help her or give her hope. Maybe I am off my rocker but I feel so sorry for her. Her name is Robin Groff. Her website is http://robingroff.com. I met you over the phone when I met a very good friend of your's (his name slips my mind) and we were at Dale and Elias house. Thank you so much for anything you can do. Have a great week and glad you are doing so great!!

Anne

07 March 2007 - Milburn, New Jersey

Dear Eric,

I don’t know if you’ll remember, but I attended a lecture you gave at my son’s restaurant in Millburn, NJ a few months ago and told you my nephew, Jeffrey, who was suffering from the same disease and had had 2 perfect bone marrow transplants.  Jeffrey lost the battle last Wednesday.  It was too late for him to avail himself of the cord blood technology, but I don’t want his life to be in vain.  I, as promised-a little later than I had hoped-have just sent an email to Oprah’s producers.  I don’t know if they will respond; however, I intend to ask everyone on my email list(and they to ask everyone on their list etc.) to request a program on cord blood in memory of Jeffrey Kahn.

I hope you are doing well.

All the best,

Adrienne Cooperman

24 April 2007 - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Dear Mr. Drew,

Thank you so much for your wonderful talk today at the Valley Hospital regarding cord blood donation.  Your story and words really provide a source of motivation and inspiration to many people who are either battling or have family members that are battling with disease.  As I mentioned to you briefly at the end of your talk, my mother-in law recently had an experimental stem cell treatment for a degenerative neurological condition.  I will relay your story to her, just to reinforce the idea of always have hope, fighting, and never giving up, even when faced with adversity and doctors who are not always supportive and informative.

May you continue to be blessed with many many years of good health, and continue to be able to help the lives of others through the good work you do.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Wieder, M.D.

16 March 2007 - Houston, Texas

Mr. Drew,

I had the pleasure of listening to your presentation at the Viacord luncheon today.  Your story is amazing and moving.  The number of lives you have touched/affected during your many challenges is incredible.  Your strength and willingness to work through so many avenues to make changes that benefit all of us is so inspiring.  I have always thought of myself as a person of servitude: a wife, mother, nurse, an educator, a blood donor and registered member of the bone marrow donor registry.  Listening to you, I can see that I haven't BEGUN to make the kind of difference that have made for our brothers and sisters in this nation.  

For what it's worth, I thank you for finding so many ways to make the BEST of all the WORST situations in your life and for always doing everything you can to make a difference for others that might have similar misfortunes.  You?are what I want to be when I grow up!!!

May God bless you and your new wife in your life together. 

Jackie

09 March 2007 - Santa Cruz, California

Congratulations, Eric. I am so happy that you have beaten cancer. May you be blessed for your considerable efforts to help others.   I was in Los Gatos a few years ago to sign up for your bone marrow drive, but was rejected because I am a kidney donor (my friend got my right kidney 5 years ago and is doing fantastic).

Best to you and I will certainly donate to the fund and follow your happenings.

Kind regards,
Rich Veum
Santa Cruz , CA

02 March 2007 - Fort Worth, Texas

I want to thank you for last evening's presentation at the Gaylord.  I do not think it was by accident that I attended.  The Gynocologist I work for (Omega/Arlington, Texas) is no longer doing OB.   I had told my husband that I would only attend as a "positive gesture for my co-workers".  Wow!  Was I ever amazed as the evening unfolded!  Now, I just want to tell all family "any stranger who is pregnant" (to quote from last evening) about this grand opportunity!  It's as good or better than insurance! 

I copy my vivacious step-daughter, Susanne.  She is our now healthy miracle!  Susanne was diagnosed with Advanced Hodgkin's Lymphoma, December 23, 2003.  That numbing day was also her 20th birthday.  She finished her chemo July, 2004.  As she graduates from University of Oklahoma in May, Susanne is setting her sights on fund raising for cancer endeavors.  She will be awesome!

Below is an E-mail that I sent to many of our family and friends to help "get the word out".

Thank you Eric Drew!  May God richly bless you, Nicole, and your folks! May you continue to be a huge wave of education across our world! 

Gayle Temple, RN

Subject: Eric Drew Foundation/Viacord-Newborn Cordblood Banking
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 06:38:54 -0600

Last evening I attended an outstanding dinner/presentation for nurses/doctors.  The guest speaker was Eric Drew.  If you go to his site of www.drewfoundation.org , you can read an incredible story.  Eric is 39 and has survived the ravages of ALL (Leukemia).  It's almost a fluke that he survived the enormous odds given him.  If he had been fortunate enough to have Cord Blood banked at his birth, the treatments would have been far miilder, the damage to his body much less, and the 2 million dollars spent on his treatments drastically reduced. See www.viacord.com This HUGE advocate for fighting for life threatening dieases and banking cord blood seems to be living for this purpose of educating others and protecting our future and present generations from what he has endured. 

As I listened to this man, I felt a growing sense of pride for my own father.  Dad had the same Leukemia back in 1970-71.  As dad allowed Baylor College of Medicine to use him for research, he'd smile and say, "Someday, someone will get well from this disease as they learn from my body."  Well, Will Ledbetter, it's happening!  You would be so pleased! 

Susanne, I told the huge room of medical people about you.  They were all over that!  They want to hear from you .  Eric said to e-mail  or call him.  He and the entire group were thrilled to hear you are 23 and cancer free!  They were all turning, grinning at each other, and doing a "high five" with their eyes, as if they had been right there with you!  :o)  Guess when Eric's huge Bone Marrow Transplant process started -December 23, 2003 .  I almost fell out of my chair.  That was the day we learned that you too would be fighting this beastly monster of cancer.  Coincidence?  I don't believe so.

Check out the sites.  It is worth your time.  Those of you who are having babies will do well to really consider the possibilies of banking cord blood that is otherwise thrown away.  It could save your babies someday! 

love and God bless!

Gayle