Alicia's Angels have taken wing.

For the past few months, a core of close friends have dedicated themselves to assisting former Douglas County School Board member Alicia Smalley as she undergoes treatment for lymphoma.

The Angels' next project is a yard and bake sale today at St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Smalley's hospital bills are covered by insurance, but the out-of-pocket expenses are mounting.

"A friend of mine asked if she could get names of some friends and see what they could do for me. It took off on its own. They've been so wonderful," Smalley said.

Her immediate goal is approval from her doctor for a bone marrow transplant.

Smalley is optimistic the transplant will take place. With 5 million people on the list, her chances were just 40 percent for a match. Her siblings were tested, but did not match.

"I have a donor. It's a 40-year-old man," Smalley said in an interview from her home in Indian Hills. "I'm so excited, I just want to hurry."

She's been undergoing chemotherapy to reduce tumors on her lung and in her stomach so the transplant can proceed.

"I can't say for sure I am going to be able to do this. Something might come up. We've had a lot of snags along the way," she said.

Smalley, 54, was diagnosed with lymphoma five years ago.

"I didn't need treatment until a year ago when the tumors got aggressive," she said.

If the transplant proceeds, Smalley will be hospitalized at Stanford for 31Ú2 weeks. After that, she will live in a Palo Alto apartment close to the hospital and require round-the-clock care.

Friend Eileen Cohen put out the call for volunteers and Alicia's Angels was created.

"She is fighting for her life, for every inch of it," Cohen said.

The Angels provide Smalley with transportation for treatment, stop by for visits and even assist with the house cleaning.

Cohen said it wasn't difficult to find volunteers.

"She is so well-known and has so many friends," Cohen said.

Smalley has more than 25 years experience in state, county, and private social work and rehabilitation programs. She is director of field instruction at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Social Work and an adjunct faculty member at Truckee Meadows Community College.

An lifelong advocate for women and children, Smalley served on the Douglas County School Board from 1985-95.

She's been a member of dozens of state and local boards including the Partnership of Community Resources, Nevada Women's History Project State Board, Nevada Women's Political Caucus and a member of the Dropout Coalition of the Nevada Department of Education.



You can help

WHAT: Yard sale to help Alicia Smalley

WHEN: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today

WHERE: St. Paul's Lutheran Church parking lot, corner of Saliman Road and Highway 50

Alicia's Angels, a group of Smalley's family and friends, are collecting usable items and baked goods for the sale. Donations may be dropped off beginning at 8 a.m. today. Raffle tickets will be sold for a portrait by artist Michelle Gabler. Information, Eileen Cohen, 267-2557.