ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 14, PAUL WAS TRANSFERRED FROM PENINSULA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN SALISBURY, MD TO UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER IN BALTIMORE. IT WAS ALSO THE SAME DAY THAT HIS BONE MARROW BIOPSY CONFIRMED WHAT HAD BEEN SUSPECTED ALL ALONG. HE HAD A CANCER KNOWN AS MULTIPLE MYELOMA. LAUREN, PAUL’S Wife, MY SISTER DIANE AND I MET PAUL AT THE HOSPITAL SHORTLY AFTER HIS ARRIVAL. PAUL RECEIVED THE NEWS WITH A SENSE OF RELIEF, HE HATED NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO HIM. NOW HIS ILLNESS HAD A NAME AND THERE WAS NO MORE GUESSING TO WHAT WAS OCCURRING. NOT LETTING US DWELL ON THE NEWS FOR LONG, HE QUICKLY LIGHTENED THE CONVERSATION BY PROVIDING A VIVID DESCRIPTION OF HIS COMICAL AMBULANCE RIDE AND THE GUYS WHO DROVE HIM UP FROM SALISBURY (I’LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. PAUL CAN FILL IN THE REST. BY THE WAY, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THAT CHOPPER RIDE? ARE YOU IN THE AIR YET?). THEN PAUL WENT ON TO TELL US ABOUT THE MISADVENTURES OF HIS HOSPITAL ROOMMATE AT PENINSULA REGIONAL. WE LEFT THE HOSPITAL ABOUT 2:15 AM AND I THOUGHT I HAD JUST COME FROM A COMEDY SHOW, NOT A CANCER WARD. FOR A SHORT WHILE, HE HAD US PUT ASIDE WHERE WE WERE AND WHY WE WERE THERE TO LAUGH AT THE CRAZINESS OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK. PAUL TOOK THE TIME TO RAISE OUR SPIRITS AND OUR HEARTS, AND REMINDED US YOU HAVE TO LAUGH! IT’S NOW OUR TURN TO LIFT UP PAUL!! RAISE HIS SPIRITS AND HIS GENEROUS HEART. FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS KNOWN PAUL, I’M SURE THERE ARE A MILLION SIMILAR STORIES THAT WOULD TESTIFY TO PAUL’S FUN LOVING AND LIGHT HEARTED APPROACH TO LIFE. WHILE REMEMBERING THE GOOD TIMES WE’VE HAD, LET’S KEEP AN EYE ON HELPING PAUL FIGHT THIS CANCER. MY FAMILY AND I HOPE YOU WILL HELP US ENSURE THAT ALL OF HIS MEDICAL NEEDS ARE MET; FOR NOW AND FOR ALL FUTURE TREATMENTS HE MAY REQUIRE. OUR GOAL IS TO LOVE AND SUPPORT HIM ANY WAY POSSIBLE AND TO PUT THIS CANCER INTO REMISSION. ATTENDING AN EVENT FOR PAUL, GIVING DONATIONS, BLOOD DONATIONS, WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, AND PRAYERS ARE ALL WAYS WE CAN HELP PAUL. WE ASK YOU TO JUST GIVE WITH AN OPEN MIND AND AN OPEN HEART. GOD BLESS, STEVE LAUER