ORANGE BEACH, AL — The fight continues against leukemia for Hunter Lanford of Orange Beach, but he and his family are looking at taking another tack in the battle.

In January of 2014 he was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia and has courageously fought it, with the help of family and community since. On Jan. 10 at The Wharf a blood drive and fundraiser will help the family with expenses and seek a match for an operation. Hours for the event are 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

“The cancer’s still kind of beating the medicine a little bit so we’re looking at having a bone marrow donation trying to find a match for him or a match for someone,” Kevin Lanford, Hunter’s dad, said. “One of the doctors said there’s like 20 million people in the database and 10 more people’s not likely to make a difference, but I was thinking what about those 10 people if they find a match? One person could make a difference.”

Hunter has improved somewhat over the course of the year’s treatment, Kevin Lanford said, and is resuming some regular activities he enjoyed before the cancer was discovered.

“He’s doing better, the medicine is OK, but it’s not doing everything it’s supposed to do,” Kevin Lanford said. “He feels good, staying healthy, staying active and he’s been able to get back in the water some and being able to do stuff a normal young man does. He went to a couple of Auburn this year. He’s finishing up at Faulkner where he took a couple of classes this semester.”

Hunter is an avid SCUBA diver and loves getting out on and into the water.

But making future plans can be difficult because of the time commitment necessary should a bone-marrow match be found.

“Its going to be a four- to five-month or six-month ordeal that they’ll have to go through between the chemotherapy beforehand, you’ve got your transplant, staying in the hospital, staying within five minutes of the hospital, then staying within 25 minutes of a hospital,” Kevin Lanford said. “There’s a lot involved.”

If a match is found Hunter will be treated at the “top notch” Anderson Cancer Treatment Center in Houston.

In February the Lower Alabama Guardians of the Ribbon had a Pink Heals fundraiser at The Wharf and raised more than $10,000 for Hunter’s expenses. Kevin Lanford said there will be a similar fundraiser at the Jan. 10 event.

“We’ll try to have some T-shirts for sale and other activities lined up,” he said. “Mainly we just want to get people out there and getting blood donated.”

Kevin Lanford is an Orange Beach firefighter and he and his wife Alicia have four sons and Hunter is the oldest of the four.