BENEFIT BAZAAR SET SATURDAY FOR BONE MARROW RECIPIENT

A benefit bazaar will be held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center Saturday for Linda Douglass, who recently underwent a bone marrow transplant for treatment of severe inflammatory breast cancer.

Douglass is in Barnes Hospital in St. Louis recovering from the procedure.

Jean Pennington, a friend of the family, said Douglass is doing well. "Her spirits are up and she's determined to get out of the hospital as soon as possible," Pennington said.

Barnes Hospital is the only facility in the state able to perform the bone marrow transplant. Doctors removed her bone marrow, administered massive doses of chemotherapy, and replaced her old marrow with new.

Patients who undergo bone marrow treatment must remain in partial isolation for 14 days to 6 weeks.

Douglass, a Jackson resident and K-12 librarian for Kelly Public Schools in Benton, Mo. She and her husband have three children.

The benefit bazaar will begin at 6 a.m. Saturday. It is being sponsored by Friends of Linda Douglass and Dayspring Missionary Baptist Church. Toys, crafts, used clothing, freshly baked goods and other items will be sold at the bazaar. Proceeds will go to the Dayspring church, earmarked for the Douglass family.

A trust fund has been established at Mercantile Bank in Cape Girardeau for anyone who wishes to donate.

Anyone with items to donate to the bazaar should call Steve Francis, pastor of Dayspring church, at 339-0556. Items will be picked up if necessary.