3.03.2005

[In Memorium] Thomas G Virnig, MD

I had some bad news today. Very bad. A friend of mine passed away after losing a battle with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). He was the same age as me. We both met in the hospital in June 2002, we had both been diagnosed with AML at the same time, we were both 26. We had a disease that usually only occurs in people 65 or older.

There were three of us that summer. Myself and Tom who were both 26 and Travis, who was 23. We all had AML.

Travis had the worst prognosis and after a year of fighting passed away.

Tom (and his fiance, later his wife, Becky) had formed a bond with me and my wife. The others were never far from our thoughts or our hopes. Tom was an inspiration for me because he finished his therapy and was able to leave the hospital a few weeks before me. He was doing well and looking good. A year later he had a relapse and had to undergo mutliple bone marrow transplants. He never recovered. He was a fighter and fought for more than 2 years.

Tom you were my friend and I will miss you.

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