Teen needs marrow donor

By Brian Hassler
Staff Writer

David Lister

SHIPROCK — Somewhere out there, someone holds the key to 16-year-old David Lister's health.

Lister, whose family is formerly of Gallup, was diagnosed with leukemia last August and has since relapsed and is now in need of a bone marrow transplant.

"Right now, the only way to get a match is to get the word out to the community," said Ernie Lister, David's father. "We need to get the word out to someone who will hold the key to David's recovery."

Though he had been making weekly trips to Phoenix from his home in Prescott, Ariz., for his leukemia outpatient work, Lister's relapse has kept him at the Phoenix Children's Hospital permanently since March 3.

Lister's brother and sister have been tested to see if their bone marrow would match with their brothers, but neither test revealed a match. With family members unable to donate marrow, Lister's family has put out the call for donors to offer up marrow to give their son a fresh start.

"If we can find compatible marrow, then the marrow will lead to a completely new blood system," said Ernie Lister. "They'll get rid of the cancer cells and allow David to have that new system."

But the opportunity for a new blood system isn't as easy for Lister, a full-blood Native American.

"What makes this a challenge," said Lister, "is that while there's over 5.3 million people registered to be donors, only 60,000 are Native American. Finding a suitable match is a challenge. Because of the diversity of Navajos, it's fine for Hispanics and African Americans to also be tested and they can do that for free."

For Lister's family, it's hard to see the talent their son has as a musician and an artist be sidelined while the wait for the compatible bone marrow continues.

"David is very talented artistically," his father said. "He has a great eye for art forms and at 16, he shows incredible talent and maturity."

Due in large part to the help of aunt Laura Johnson, of Farmington, and the efforts of the Lister family, testing has been set up throughout the Four Corners area to help the Listers find a compatible donor.

"We need bone marrow donors," said Johnson. "We're working on bone marrow drives and we should have additional ones set up in Window Rock and Gallup soon."

Testing is a pin prick on the finger, after which the blood is tested for compatibility, said Lister's father.

"David has had some rough trials and it's heartbreaking and he's been heartbroken, but he has hope that someone out there is going to help him and give him the marrow," said Lister. "It's just getting as many people as possible to come in and take this (non-invasive) test."

Those interested in making donations to help the family pay for expenses can go to Wells Fargo Bank and make deposits to The David Lister Donation account. That number is 2121013268.

Updated information can also be found online at www.davidlister.org.

— Brian Hassler is The Independent's Four Corners reporter based in Shiprock. Contact him at (505) 360-7862 or via email at brianhassler@hotmail.com.