JESSICA BIBER
Staff Writer
Students may not have realized it, but a recent blood drive at Pepperdine offered more than a chance to donate blood. For Pepperdine alumnus and adjunct law professor John Hurney, it offered his son the blood he needed to stay alive and well.
John’s three-year-old son, Noah, has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and cancer of the central nervous system.
John, a former member of the Pepperdine University Alumni Board, said the support of Pepperdine inspired him to host on-campus blood drives every semester. More blood drives, currently in the planning stages, will benefit City of Hope, the Los Angeles-area cancer treatment center that treats Noah.
Noah was diagnosed with cancer in September 2006 after his parents noticed he had several suspicious bruises and gums that were sensitive to the touch At the time of his diagnosis, Noah had no platelets in his blood and was rushed to the hospital for a blood transfusion and 10 days of chemotherapy. Since then, Noah has gone to the hospital on a weekly basis and received bimonthly spinal taps and several blood transfusions.
Stacy Taylor, director of Advancement, Alumni and Public Affairs at the Pepperdine School of Law, has supported the Hurneys since the first days of Noah’s treatments.
“Seeing Noah at the hospital changed me forever,” Taylor said. “Noah’s dad was lying on the bed and Noah was snuggled up against him and there were tubes everywhere. Noah was so brave though, even at that point in the treatment.”
According to the Hurneys, much of their support has come from Pepperdine administrators, including President Andrew K. Benton, Assistant Professor Nancy McGinnis and former School of Law Dean Ronald Phillips, among others.
“People say who really know who your friends are when the going gets tough,” John said. “A lot of people stop calling, or are just afraid they will bother you. But when Pepperdine tells you that you are a family, I can attest that that is the case. People may go to this school, but really they have joined a family.”
John recalls weekly emails from President Benton and School of Law Dean Ken Starr, Dean Phillips, along with many other people in the Pepperdine community, committed to praying for the Hurneys.
“Anytime someone you know is suffering, you suffer too,” Phillips said. “We prayed for many people, including the Hurneys. People should always foster feelings they have, to reach out to others.”
John said he hopes Pepperdine students will adopt City of Hope as an organization they commit to serving by donating blood, spending time with patients and praying for them.
City of Hope usually has to purchase blood from larger organizations like the American Red Cross, so when donations are made directly to City of Hope, the hospital is left with more funds for other procedures.
With many diseases, especially leukemia, blood transfusions are vital for the cancer patients. Every time Noah received blood, his parents said they noticed that color returned to his face and Noah had energy for the day.
“For someone out there, getting blood really is life,” John said. “Everyone pictures an ER-type-scene where the person got in a fight, or there is this drama, but it’s not just that. It’s a little child with cancer or a mother with breast cancer. There are so many people that need blood. Without the support of donors, where would these people be?”
At the October blood drive Pepperdine hosted for City of Hope, two donations went directly to Noah. Privacy laws prevented the Hurneys from knowing who gave the donations, but they said they praise God every time Noah receives blood.
“It’s like someone is throwing you a lifeline,” John said. “My wife and I would like to take these people to dinner and say, ‘You saved our life.’ I can’t tell you how much it means.”
Recently, Noah has entered the maintenance phase, which means he will endure chemotherapy once a month and spinal taps every 45 days.
In the next couple weeks Noah will undergo 10 days in a row of radiation, which has the potential to cause brain damage. John said he and his wife are inviting people to pray for Noah’s safety during the upcoming procedures.
“The doctors will tell us three or four days beforehand. We are going to send out an e-mail once we know the dates and times and pray in 10 minute bands,” John said. “We want to just create a prayer barrier around Noah’s head.”
John will provide concrete dates and ways for people to get involved in the future, but he said he hopes people will look at the Theme Tower on campus and consider whether Jesus would have chosen to save lives by donating blood.
“We have a cross out front, and it has to mean something. The unfortunate thing about cancer is that it touches every one of us. The City of Hope is full of our mothers, our sisters, our fathers and our brothers,” John said. “Everyone at Pepperdine, if they look close enough, can see someone they know with cancer. Everybody at City of Hope is fighting the ultimate fight, and we have warriors on campus who are looking for a place to put their energy.”
To join the prayer list for Noah, email john.hurney@pepperdine.edu.
11-08-2007
