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Gene team to walk for cancer cure Oct. 12 by Heather Woolwine Public Relations When people lose a loved one, friend or colleague to cancer, there are numerous ways to grieve and honor that person. One positive way to deal with a loss is to remember someone with philanthropic efforts close to the heart.   Colleagues and friends of Hala Peeler, a former MUSC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine-Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Pathology division employee, and Grace Feingold, a child born with Down syndrome, will walk during the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LSS) annual Light The Night Walk Oct. 12. The walk is a nationwide effort to build awareness of blood cancers and raise funds for cures.   Walkers carry illuminated balloons—white for survivors and red for supporters—to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer. Funds raised by participants support the LSS mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Anyone can take part in the walk, including children, adults and seniors.   The Cytogenetics and Flow Cytometry Services aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of acute leukemia on a daily basis, but the importance of this work was personified this year as technologists went through the disease with their friends. To honor their friends’ memory, an MUSC team from Cytogenetics and Flow Cytometry Services dubbed The Hala and Gracie Gene Team was formed. The Gene team has the second largest roster in the Charleston area, with 16 members ready to walk. Go to http://www.lightthenight.org for more information about the walk or to sponsor a team member.   Hala Peeler Peeler was a friend to those she worked with at MUSC prior to losing her battle with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and is remembered fondly by coworkers. She worked in the specialized testing area of the MUSC laboratory for 19 years. “Her calm manner and her knack for joyfully tackling her job each day made Hala one of the most beloved and valued employees,” said Daynna Wolff, Ph.D., cytogenetics director.   Donna Jacobs, Peeler’s coworker, said, “Hala was a friend and a colleague who always added a calming presence to the intensity of the work involved in doing specialized testing. Hala developed (AML), underwent many months of treatments and received a bone marrow transplant, but unfortunately succumbed to the disease this past year. She is missed by all of her MUSC friends, her husband, and her two children.”   Grace Feingold Jenny Morse, cytogenetics technologist, asked if the team could also walk in memory of her friend, Grace. While at MUSC, Morse also worked as a nanny for the past six years. She formed a special bond with one triplet who was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth.   Grace had many obstacles to overcome by virtue of her condition. She was placed on a special diet, and was slower to learn how to crawl, walk and communicate. Morse was present during the accomplishment of many milestones in Grace’s life and wrote of the joy she took in caring for such a special child. “I cannot even begin to describe how much time I spent walking on the treadmill with Grace for her therapy, let alone the hundreds of hours she did the same with her mother. Finally, Grace had it down and was even tackling the stairs. All the while, she was learning more than 500 signs to communicate because of the daily therapy she would do with her mom and dad. She was doing well in her preschool, even playing with the other children and climbing the jungle gym,” Morse said. “One of Grace’s favorite pastimes was listening to music. She watched videos that had sign language in them so she could learn the words. Some of my favorite memories are walking into their house and seeing Grace walk in circles, swinging her arms, her form of dancing, and signing along with the songs. I cannot even begin to describe how much it would make you smile. Grace and I would also play my favorite game; I would blow my cheeks full of air so she could smash her hands on either side of my face so all the air would blow out onto her face. The laughter that would follow was contagious. Besides her laughter, her hugs would make you melt. She gave hugs and wouldn’t let go; she’d just mold to you. I miss those.”   Grace was diagnosed with AML last summer after coming home from vacation. Her health care team prepared for two years of treatment, but Grace was only able to fight for just under two months, passing away in mid-July.    “Grace belonged to a wonderful family and it is a horrible tragedy that they had to go through something like this. Many children, like Grace, have problems with treatment and can develop complications,” Morse said. “They have trouble with all the medications and the compromised immune system. Hopefully, one day, researchers will be able to develop a treatment geared toward children with Down syndrome. Please help this cause and donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to keep this research going for all the other children like Grace who are fighting this disease.” The Hala and Gracie Gene Team includes: Cary Wiggins, Tara Elligham, Laurie Scurry, Stephanie Carter, Melissa Peyton, Samatha Green, Jenny Morse, Donna Jacobs, Daynna Wolff, Rick Peppler, Danielle Peppler, John Lazarchick, Denise Quigley, Joan Mueller, Gena Ciabatarri and Michelle Mantooth.     Friday, Oct. 6, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. 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