Leukemia Letters

Many of you have been touched by the wonderful work of Dr. John Slatin, accessibility expert extraordinaire. He has been my mentor and dear friend since I first met him in 2000. My passion for accessibility was inspired by him and his incredible attitude. And I’ll admit, that last year when he was diagnosed with Leukemia right after being named co-chair of the WCAG 2.0 Working Group, I was reminded how outrageously unfair life can be. But once again, John showed me how he doesn’t let a little inconvenience like Leukemia stop him from making the world a better place. A month ago, I was sitting at lunch with John and Jim Thatcher and rejoicing in his remission.

Last week we learned that John Slatin’s Leukemia has returned. John and his wife Anna have gone to MD Anderson in Houston for his chemotherapy. Gordon Montgomery has set up a yahoo support group for John and Anna. There is a very powerful post from John written on 5/14 (I rate it at least a two Kleenex post).

Sharron Rush had a marvelous idea for one way folks might be able to show their support…so…I share this idea with you…

A convenience has been set up for John and Anna while John is in chemotherapy at MD Anderson in Houston. The Central Market there will be happy to facilitate contributions to what they call the John Slatin Family Fund. John and Anna were tremendously moved by the support they received the first time John was hospitalized. And they are serious foodies, as we all know. But if you will not be close enough to bring your best homemade goodies on a regular basis, and are looking for another way to help John maintain his record of the longest hospital stay without eating hospital food, this may be it :)

Here’s how it works:

1. Call the catering department of Central Market Houston 713-386-1750- Tell them you are contributing to the John Slatin Family Fund
2. They will take credit cards or check-by-phone
3. They will send a card with your name (no dollar amounts)
4. John and Anna can have food delivered to the hospital, pick food up or go shopping at the store for basics.

I know many of you may have other ways you are supporting John and Anna through this time, so please don’t feel any obligation. This is offered as a possibility for a gift that will help with the practical food basics.

I’ll be headed down to Houston next week with Sharron to give John and Anna a big hug.