(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- A lot has transpired since the initial diagnosis of Firefighter Catherine Wall's blood disorder of MDS that later progressed to AML.  We have held multiple blood and platelet drives since Catherine's initial hospitalization in late October. We also have had many ups and downs from the initial diagnosis, to the remission of her disease, to the latest news of an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant in Seattle. Wall is now taking a new oral experimental medication that has limited data available but has shown up to 40% of varied amount of success.  She still continues to fight with the love and support of her family and friends along with traditional medicine knowing that odds of a survival outcome are not in her favor, but continues to rely on her deep sense of faith and hope to carry her through this difficult time. 

Local 1403 and MDFR will continue to help Catherine with continued platelet drives every two weeks, with the next one occurring on Monday, April 6, 2009 at the Fire Tower and a blood drive to be held on Friday, April 17, 2009 at MDFR Headquarters.  Catherine will indefinitely need at least two platelets transfusions and one unit of whole blood a week.