Runner needs help<br>to fight disease

TUSAYAN — The thought of running a full marathon has always been an interesting possibility for Tusayan resident Jessica Blandin. But to actually get out and pound the pavement for 26.2 miles does take some encouragement.

Jessica Blandin, left, will be running for leukemia victim Heather Burzinski.

After meeting 27-year-old Arizona State student Heather Burzinski, Blandin discovered that extra drive she needed to become involved in a marathon. That’s because Burzinski was diagnosed with chronic mylogenous leukemia in 1993.

"I had always actually thought it would be fun to do a marathon," Blandin said. "I haven’t been working and didn’t need to be at work or anything and then I came across the Team in Training and everything just fell together."

Team in Training is a program created to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through a variety of physical challenges. Blandin and scores of other runners will participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon on Jan. 6, braving the course in honor of a leukemia patient.

"It was helpful to talk to Heather and hear her stories," Blandin said. "She came up and visited Grand Canyon ... she really had a good experience."

Burzinski, who shared her story through a personal statement, said she was a healthy freshman in college before being diagnosed with the rare form of leukemia. The leukemia was discovered during a routine blood test before she was to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.

"I was 19 years old and they were telling me that I was dying," Burzinski said. "It was crazy. I didn’t feel sick. I told myself that they had made a mistake. However, when the genetics report came back, it was no mistake; without treatment, I would die."

A bone marrow transplant was the most promising option for the young woman and the search for a suitable donor began. After four months, a donor was found and it’s now been seven years since the transplant.

The leukemia is gone, but she now suffered from another disease caused from the transplant. Later, it was discovered that she had a massive growth in her abdomen, another surgery followed and 3 1/2 years ago, she had a tumor removed from her rib cage.

Burzinski began a different course of treatment in December 1999 and was able to reduce the number of medications she had been taking for more than four years. To turn the experience into a positive, Burzinski became involved with Team in Training.

"I am honored to be an inspiration for others who train hard and complete a grueling 26.2-mile marathon," she said. "Being so dedicated to achieving such a goal is quite an inspiration to me."

To help Blandin raise the $3,300 needed for her marathon sponsorship, the Grand Canyon Rotary Club is sponsoring "Grand Canyon Dress Down Day" this week through Friday. Every business in the village and Tusayan is encouraged to participate by allowing their employees on any day this week to wear a Dress Down Day sticker, purchased with a $3 donation, or a Dress Down Day shirt with a donation of $25, which permits them to wear casual attire at work for that day. The employer would then match the money collected.

John Dillon of the Rotary’s Leukemia Fund-raising Committee said cash donations would certainly be accepted if the Dress Down Day option would not work well under certain circumstances. All proceeds will be forwarded from the Rotary Club to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society toward the sponsorship of Blandin’s marathon participation and to be used directly for the fight against these diseases.

"While the events of Sept. 11 have brought out the best in charity and donations, it has also caused us to be very selective with whom we assist and by how much," Dillon said. "I know businesses have been drastically affected by these recent events, but I hope our community can find just a little more to help Jessica and this cause."

Although participation is encouraged this week, donations will be accepted for the cause until the end of this month.

For more information or registration forms for Dress Down Day, call the Grand Canyon Airlines office at 638-2463.