THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504010076
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
John Galem, described four years ago by his doctor as a ``walking time bomb'' because he was grossly overweight, smoked and did not exercise. Now he is heading for a Canadian marathon to raise money for leukemia research.
The Bennetts Pasture Road resident has lost 110 of his 340 pounds and is ready to join about 20 other Hampton Roads residents for the Toronto Marathon on May 7. He will be the only Suffolk participant.
First, though, there's the matter of money. He has pledges of $500 toward $2,500 needed for the Leukemia Society of America to send him to the weekend event.
Galem, a carpenter at NASA in Hampton, has the encouragement of his wife, Brenda, and their 15-year-old daughter, Kathleen. His fund-raising deadline is May 2.
Looking back four years, the 6-foot-4 1/2-inch Galem said, ``I was horribly overweight.''
He quit smoking cold turkey and stopped eating everything he came across.
``Now, I eat the right types of food, and I've cut the amount,'' he said. ``That, and exercise, are the keys.''
The exercise takes him on roads near his home for runs of 8 to 10 miles a day. It also takes him to the YMCA in Portsmouth two or three times a week.
``I'm looking forward to the marathon,'' he said. ``I'm happy with my present weight, and I'll probably lose some more after the run.''
Galem expects to do still more running in 1996. ``If this marathon goes well,'' he said, ``I'll attempt the Boston Marathon next year.''
That would mean a trip to his hometown. Born in Boston 40 years ago, Galem has lived in Suffolk for nine years.
He has done walk-a-thons before, to help raise money for the March of Dimes and other charities, but this is his first marathon. ``I'm dedicating the efforts to Paula Bradshaw.''
The local chapter of the Leukemia Society pairs runners, for that purpose, with someone who has the disease, or with a survivor.
Bradshaw, a Virginia Beach resident, is a survivor.
``She was diagnosed with leukemia in 1992 and got a bone marrow transplant from her brother in 1993,'' Galem said. ``A checkup Valentine's Day showed no sign of leukemia.''
The disease involves parts of the body that make blood. It causes the body to make too many abnormal white blood cells, resulting in infections, anemia and/or excessive bleeding.
Without treatment, 90 percent of acute leukemia victims would die within a year.
There is no known way to prevent leukemia, which kills more children between the ages of 2 and 15 than any other disease. It is second only to accidents.
More than 90,000 adults and children will contract leukemia or related blood diseases this year, according to the Leukemia Society of America. Leukemia has an average cure rate of 40 percent.
Symptoms are anemia, weakness, chronic fatigue, high fever, bleeding without clotting, bruising easily, recurrent infection, pain in joints and bones, swelling of lymph nodes, spleen and liver.
If any of those symptoms persist or recur, see a doctor for a complete physical exam, including blood tests. The sooner treatment begins, the more effective. by CNB