COURTESY OF ATUATASI FAMILY
Ameron employee Milo Atuatasi and his wife Fran with their children, from left, Marleina, 7, Malia, 12, and Micah, 4. Malia just underwent a bone marrow transplant.
Family struggles
with girl’s cancerMalia Atuatasi’s dad is not
working as the cement
strike lingers
Milo and Fran Atuatasi were preparing their 12-year-old daughter to undergo a bone marrow transplant when they heard that Milo and fellow Ameron Hawaii employees might go on strike.
CORRECTION
Sunday, Feb.15, 2003>> The family of an Ameron Hawaii employee whose daughter has leukemia went to Seattle on Jan. 21, where the 12-year-old girl had a bone marrow transplant. A story on page A1 in yesterday's newspaper incorrectly reported they left Feb. 4, two days before the concrete strike began.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com."My heart dropped," said Fran Atuatasi, noting she was worried about whether they would have medical coverage.
As the cement strike moves into its second week, the Atuatasis, of Waianae, remain hopeful for their daughter, who faces a life-threatening form of leukemia. But they worry about the length of the strike.
Fran Atuatasi said her husband, a cement truck driver for Ameron, eased her mind when union officials said the Atuatasis would have medical insurance for the next three months while he is on family leave.
"He said he didn't think the strike was going to last for three months," Atuatasi said.
Malia Atuatasi, a seventh-grader at Waianae Intermediate School, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia when she was 6.
COURTESY OF ATUATASI FAMILY
Malia Atuatasi, 12, a seventh-grader at Waianae Intermediate School, had a bone marrow transplant two days ago to combat leukemia.
Malia underwent chemotherapy for two years and was in remission, but her illness returned when she suffered a relapse in May 2000. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation for more than two years. For more than a year, Malia was healthy, but fell into a second relapse in December while she went in for a regular checkup at Kaiser Medical Center.
Atuatasi said they did not realize she was ill because she looked healthy. She underwent a blood transfusion after her white blood cell count was low.
Her second relapse was brought on by a different type of leukemia, called secondary myelodysplasia syndrome, which can lead to a more serious form called acute myeloid leukemia.
"We were really lucky we caught it early," Fran Atuatasi said. "The survival rate of MDS is much higher than if it was full-blown AML."
Doctors notified the Atuatasis that their daughter needed a bone marrow transplant. Tests revealed in December that their second daughter, Marleina, now 7, was a perfect match for her older sister.
Two days ago, Malia and Marleina underwent the transplant procedure at a children's hospital in Seattle.
"The transplant went very well," Fran Atuatasi said. In the meantime the Atuatasis are staying at the Pete Gross House near the hospital, designated for cancer patients and their families. The four left for Seattle on Feb. 4, two days before the workers went on strike.
Atuatasi said they need to stay in Seattle for at least three months for their daughter to recover from the transplant.
"I always believed we are going to make it," Fran Atuatasi said. "We made it this far."
Several Ameron employees had started to organize a fund-raiser for Malia at the beginning of the year to help the family with medical costs and living arrangements.
Fran Atuatasi said the family does not how much the procedure will cost, but believes it will be thousands of dollars.
Co-worker Jason Kahumoku said Milo Atuatasi is more worried about his daughter's health than the cement strike.
"We told him, 'Don't worry about the strike,'" Kahumoku said.
Faculty and staff members at Waianae Intermediate School are also collecting donations for the 12-year-old girl.
A fund-raiser for Malia will be held at the Volcanoes Nightclub at 1130 N. Nimitz Highway from 5 to 11 p.m. Feb. 29. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 years old and under. Heavy pupus, entertainment and door prizes will be available at the fund-raiser.
Those who are unable to attend can make a donation to any Bank of Hawaii branch under the name Ho'Aloha O Malia.
For more information, call Debra Cordeiro at 484-1628.
