Perhaps the best way to wish Brendan Horton of Old Town a happy birthday would be to participate in the American Red Cross Blood Services New England Region 10th annual M.A.S.H. blood drive, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Bangor Civic Center. The event will include free bone marrow testing.

Saturday is Brendan’s 14th birthday.

In 1992, he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

He completed treatment in 1994, and has been in remission since then. Unfortunately, he relapsed in June.

His mother, Karen Horton, said Brendan is now undergoing induction chemotherapy at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and, on Friday, July 20, he will be retested to see if he is, again, in remission.

“This is a pretty unusual case. First, because he was in remission so long and, secondly, he was re-diagnosed only because he went in for a regular exam,” she said. “It happened, by pure coincidence, that his relapse was diagnosed as early as it could have been.”

Because Brendan’s condition is being viewed as a relapse, and because of his age and length of remission, his mother explained that “the immediate response is to strongly consider a bone marrow transplant, and his case has been accepted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital, in Boston.”

At this point, there is no family match, “so we are currently seeking an unrelated bone marrow donor,” she said.

“The quality of the level of the donor match determines whether a transplant is the best route to go,” she added.

“The higher the quality, the safer the match, so we’ve been encouraging our friends and colleagues, who’ve expressed in interest in Brendan’s situation, to consider going on the national bone marrow donor registry.

“Not just for Brendan,” she added, “but for anyone who might need marrow.”

Angela Bilodeau, account executive of ARC Blood Services New England Region, said 393 people registered for the M.A.S.H. drive last year, “and our very aggressive goal, this year, is 450 people.”

Bilodeau said the need for blood donors is always high in the summer, but that “it’s even greater this year,” because current supplies are low.

And the fact that donors can be tested for the national marrow registry is an extra added plus, she said.

“The cost for the testing is usually about $85, but we are doing this free of charge.”

As with previous M.A.S.H. drives, there will be a “military air” about the event, with the participation of the Maine Army National Guard Mountain Company from Brewer, and members of the Bangor High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

“We have wonderful T-shirts for all donors,” Bilodeau said.

“Domino’s Pizza will be there; Zonta Club volunteers will be helping out; and WKIT radio will be doing a live, remote broadcast from the site.”

And while all that activity might be enough to get folks out to donate blood and, possibly, be tested for the national marrow registry, friends of the Horton family, such as the Rev. Mary Ann Taylor, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Old Town, are encouraging people to think of Brendan Horton on this day.

The Rev. Taylor has written her religious friends and associates telling them that Brendan, an acolyte at St. James, needs their prayers, and their help.

She has also asked her associates to remind church members and friends that anyone can donate blood and become part of the national bone marrow donor registry by participating in the M.A.S.H. blood drive on Brendan’s birthday.

Taylor points out that people age 18 to 60, who are in good health, can have their blood typed for the registry, and that those unable to donate at this time – pregnant women, for example – can still be typed.

For Brendan’s sake, and for all those awaiting a blood transfusion or a bone marrow transplant, we hope the ARC’s “very aggressive goal” of attracting 450 donors at the M.A.S.H. drive is met.

Happy birthday, Brendan!

Although the weather did absolutely nothing to cooperate, and the event had to be quickly changed from an outdoor to an indoor one, the people who attended did cooperate and helped make the Paradis Cancer Fund Auction last month a tremendous success.

More than $6,000 was raised during the auction sponsored by the Fort Kent Knights of Columbus and the Edgar “Guy” Paradis Cancer Fund, which is a service of Northern Maine Medical Center in Presque Isle.

The Paradis Fund helps provide financial assistance to cancer patients and their families, who must travel outside the St. John Valley for treatment.

A team of auctioneers, led by Roger Belanger, helped make sure the more than 90 registered bidders not only had a good time but, in the process, helped their friends and St. John Valley neighbors who need treatment for cancer away from home.

A very special family reunion is planned for this summer.

Audrey Peasley of Brooksville wrote that the Babson family is planning a reunion beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 29, at the Brooklin Elementary School.

“We would like all Babsons to attend, if possible,” she wrote.

“The last reunion was 40 years ago, in 1960, near Pumpkin Lighthouse on Eggemoggin Reach.”

Last January, a committee formed to plan the reunion of the descendants of Charles Leroy Babson, a lighthouse keeper whose descendants settled mostly in the Brooklin area.

The directors of the Babson Museum and Babson College have been invited to attend the reunion.

If you want information about this event, or are planning to attend, you can call Peasley at 326-8864, or write her at 10 Ferry Road, Brooksville 04617.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402;

990-8288.