Our Readers Write...or Wrong

My name is Wei Lien Dang; I'm a 2005 Marshall Scholar and a 2007 Soros Fellow as well as an alumnus of La Cañada High School. I'm writing to request your help with a situation regarding a Korean-American family in Southern California.

Meet Elyse, born Feb. 1 of this year … she is the eldest of triplet girls of my friends, Tim and Susan Yu. Elyse was recently diagnosed with HLH, a lethal disorder that destroys her blood cells. She is currently going through chemotherapy, but she needs a bone marrow transplant to get a chance at life. Her life depends on it.

Her parents are working with Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches to organize donor drives. They are asking friends to open up their network of friends, organizations, etc. to raise awareness and help promote donor registrations for Elyse. The number of registered Asian marrow donors is extremely limited, and there is an 80% probability that a match for Elyse will come from the Korean community. For more information, please visit www.elyseyu.com. Sincerely yours, Wei Lien Dang, London, England

Leave Dogs Home

I lived in La Cañada for over 30 years and about 10 years ago moved to Montrose. I still consider La Cañada my home, and I return to La Cañada for many functions.

Every Saturday I attend the farmers market in La Cañada, and I always attend the Memorial Day parade and functions that are held in the La Cañada Memorial Park.

My complaint is the number of dogs that are brought to the many functions in La Cañada. This past Memorial Day I attended the parade, and had people sitting beside me that had two dogs. Those two dogs barked at every equestrian unit that went by, which was very annoying, not to mention what it must be to the riders of those horses, not knowing if the horse is going to bolt or what.

When I attend the farmers market there are many dogs there, and I often wonder what would happen if a child were to attempt to pet one of those dogs and take the chance of getting bitten.

My question is, why do people feel they have o take a dog to a function where there are large numbers of people and children? I feel that dogs should be banned from those functions except for seeing eye dogs. If people feel they have to take a dog out, then take them someplace to walk them where there are not a lot of people or children.

I am not against dogs. When our children were growing up we always had a dog, but we never took our dog to functions where there were a lot of people. Helen Larsen, Montrose

Thanks

Thank you, La Cañada Valley Sun, for putting our daughter's picture with the Ugliest Fish in the 10, 20, 30, 40 & 50 Years Ago section May 17. I always read this section because both of my parents' parents arrived in La Cañada in the 1920s. It was a fun surprise and brought back a lot of memories.

Sincerely, Nancy & Jim Illian, La Cañada

Let's All Pack Guns!

I want to thank Mr. Bob Tanabe for his illuminating letter in last week's edition. His basic message: we need more guns, not less. Guns, not people, stop crime.

This insightful conclusion comes despite the finding that a gun in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or a friend, than an intruder. Having a gun in the home makes murder in that home 2.7 times more likely than in a home without a gun. These two findings come from a small research journal Mr. Tanabe may have heard of — The New England Journal of Medicine.

I guess Mr. Tanabe's argument would be that, if everyone had a gun, then those findings would disappear. If an angry wife pulled out her gun, the husband could pull out his and the couple would live happily ever after. Makes a lot of sense.

So, again, thank you Mr. Tanabe for opening my mind. Now I will fight for every man, woman, and child to have a gun. I'll feel much safer sending my kids to school knowing that everyone is packing. Edward Castro, MD, La Cañada

Center's Name Change DisappointsThe Roger Barkley Community Center has changed its name to the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge. Those of us who have resided in this community before and after the death of Roger Barkley cannot understand the change.

Roger was one of the most supportive persons of this community during his lifetime. So many of the organizations located in La Cañada Flintridge benefited in many ways from his participation in their activities. It would be interesting to hear from these organizations how Roger supported them in serving as an emcee for an event, providing funds and providing catering services through Arbor Crest Catering at a very reasonable cost.

I have always considered that naming the Center after Roger was an appropriate way to honor an individual who provided significant support to the community and a way to keep the name of an outstanding community supporter before the citizens of this community.

Personally, it will still be the Roger Barkley Community Center. I am disappointed that the organization decided to make the change. It is interesting to note that the Center's Web page states "Copyright 2006 — Roger Barkley Community Center." Howard Backer, La Cañada

Scleroderma Awareness

June is Scleroderma Awareness Month, which got me thinking: What is there to be aware of?

Scleroderma is a rarely-heard of disease, but it is not rare. In the U.S. 300,000 people are thought to have scleroderma. That is about one per every 1,000 people. In a city like La Cañada with 20,000 population we might expect 20 people with scleroderma.

Actually, I've known six right here in our city. One even lived on my street (and in my last residence, a neighbor a block away had scleroderma)! So quite likely there are many others. More women than men get scleroderma; children can be affected too.

How do we know who has scleroderma? Once diagnosed (and this is an autoimmune disease that can be hard to recognize at first) patients may seek the resources of the Scleroderma Foundation; they find there is a Southern California Chapter. That leads them to local support groups.

La Cañadans learn there is a group that has been meeting at Verdugo Hills Hospital since 2003. (The Crescenta Valley Support Group can be reached by calling Joan at (626) 451-0153.)

In scleroderma — for unknown reasons — the body produces too much collagen. People develop hard skin, often starting in the hands, then face, feet, perhaps the torso.

This development may be uncomfortable; if hardness strikes internal organs ,the illness can be life-threatening.

La Cañadans have been tremendously supportive of scleroderma events and research in recent years. Patients, family, and friends realize that citizen advocacy can have a big effect on raising research dollars as well as that other key component to improving lives with scleroderma — awareness.
source:www.lacanadaonline.com