In a matter of months, the 35-year-old has not only organized a bone marrow donor registration drive and created the Eric Drew Leukemia Fund but has also set his sights on educating the public about his rare form of Adult ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) and supporting those already afflicted with the devastating disease.

For 10 years Drew donated blood every month to help children with leukemia. But the tables were harshly turned when he went to donate at the Red Cross in December 2002. Volunteers commented that he did not look well, and his blood count proved to be low. Three days later, while waiting at the office of a blood specialist, Drew peeked at his file. It read "possible leukemia."

"I sat in the waiting room trying not to cry," says Drew, who grew up in Los Gatos. "I was hoping it was mono or malaria from Africa [he had recently returned from a trip]. It was such a surprise. I was always really healthy; you couldn't get healthier blood than mine."

His bone marrow was found to be 100 percent cancerous. The doctor told Drew he had five days to live.

Drew immediately started chemotherapy treatment at Stanford University Medical Center and has since been fighting the battle of his life. "I just pray that I make it," he says. "I almost didn't. It was a rough ride to get through the initial round of chemo. They take you to the brink of death."

His chemotherapy treatments are invasive, including injections directly into the heart, scalp and spinal cord. The medicine cannot be injected into his arms because its strength would cause his veins to collapse upon contact.

Drew's type of leukemia is extremely rare for adults and is usually found in children between the ages of 4 and 9. Drew's case is even more potent because it is positive for the Philadelphia chromosome, which makes it "more nasty," Drew says. "You just can't beat it down."

Following his chemotherapy treatments, Drew does relatively well. But 10 days after treatment, his body reacts violently to the chemotherapy. "There are a lot of side effects," to the treatment, Drew says. "It is no way to live."

To keep his mind off the pain, Drew focuses on his community involvement.

"I try to focus on the future, and what I'm starting," he says, referring to the leukemia fund and the bone marrow drive. "I stay busy with that. Sometimes I feel stress, but the bone marrow drive allows me to give back to the community."

The donor registration drive will take place at the Calvary Baptist Church in Los Gatos on June 20 and 21, testing potential donors by a finger prick, with results entered into a national donor database. This way, a donor has the potential to help Drew or another patient in the United States.

The drive will "raise awareness but also give information to the database that could save my life. If I can get 1,000 names into the database, I will feel like I've contributed something," he says. "The fact that people die because they can't find a match is sick to me. They probably have a perfect match out there, but there is not enough awareness for it."

Drew and volunteers are raising funds to support the high cost of the drive, as each test costs $65 per person. Currently there is only enough money to test 500 people.

In addition to entering names in the database, Drew is eager to call attention to adult leukemia.

"I'm having the drive to raise community awareness. Most people don't know what Adult ALL is or about bone marrow cancer. Everyone should be a part of the database. It's a small amount to give to give someone life."

Drew says the hospital wards for children are extensive and plush by comparison—carpet, balloons and a sense of optimism fill each room, contrasting starkly to the bare walls and solitude of the adult ward that Drew says is "like a morgue."

"They give you whatever or take away whatever. You could be deathly sick and they might overlook it. I had stomach infections that almost killed me," he says, regarding one of his prolonged hospital stays. "It's a sad situation for adult leukemia patients."

To help organize the fund and donor drive, Drew called on everyone he knew to drum up support, form committees and get to work.

Pastor Mike McKay from the Calvary Church offered the church as a site for the drive and fund discussions.

McKay meets regularly with Drew, encouraging him and praying with him. "The Calvary likes to partner with the community and this seemed like a good fit," says McKay. "I want to give support to Eric. It pains me when he goes through this stuff. It's so easy for people in our society to get wrapped up in their own lives, and here is an opportunity to give. And not just to Eric, but help others in need ... what a way to help another human being."

Lawyer Al Eagle of Los Gatos' Eagle & Crawford also donated his services to the effort, providing free help so the fund could attain nonprofit status.

Eagle says Drew's case was particularly engaging, because he "came in and was a very charismatic, nice fellow. His situation is very difficult, and anybody who can hold their head up and keep going under his circumstances is certainly worthy of it. I just wanted to do something for somebody."

Drew graduated from Los Gatos High School in 1985 and then San Diego State. He became an event promoter and coordinator in San Francisco, eventually moving to Europe to work for a software company. He returned to the States in October 2001 and began working as a partner for a mortgage-banking firm in Pleasanton.

With the foundation, Drew's goal is to raise $1 million a year, providing one full-time employee for all 15 hospitals that cater to Adult ALL. Employees of the Eric Drew Leukemia Foundation would provide patient advocacy, unlike what happens now, Drew says, where workers represent the drug companies or the hospital.

"In the 40 days I was in the hospital, no one visited me from the cancer or leukemia society. If I was a kid, all kinds of people would be visiting me," he says. "I did have a lot of other visitors, but I'm lucky that way. I had friends fly in from all over the world. I've had massive support, but I'm lucky—I live in a really lovely place."

The bone marrow donor registration drive will be held on June 20 from noon to 8 p.m. and June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Calvary Baptist Church, located at 16330 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. For more information, call 408.358.37421 or visit www.saveoureric.org.