COEUR d'ALENE - Tammie Puga says that when you look at her friend, Chris Harper, you would never know he has leukemia.

The 45-year-old father of four was diagnosed in January with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and has been undergoing aggressive treatment ever since.

"I think he's an inspiration," Puga said. "His worries are for his family and his friends, not himself."

Now, Puga and her husband, Pete, and other friends and family of the Harpers are holding a spaghetti feed and silent auction, to help the family with mounting medical bills.

The fundraiser takes place Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Heart of the City Church, 521 W. Emma Ave., Coeur d'Alene. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased by calling Pete Puga, 660-7465; TJ Barnhart, 660-5785; or Tammie Puga, 660-7457.

Harper, his wife, Shelley, and their four children between the ages of 12 and 20, live in Coeur d'Alene. Harper has been working as a real estate agent for the past few years.

"His income is pretty much non-existent at this

point," said Tammie Puga. "He tries to do some stuff between chemo sessions."

She said Harper needs to have eight rounds of chemotherapy, and will then go to Seattle for a bone marrow transplant.

He has insurance, she said, but there are many out-of-pocket costs and the insurance has a cap. The insurance doesn't cover any of Harper's blood and platelet transfusions, that Puga said he needs almost weekly.

The cost of the transplant alone is estimated to be about $1 million, she said.

The couple's oldest child had just started at Boise State when his dad was diagnosed, and he came home, Puga said.

"He thought he had the flu. They canceled a dinner we were doing," she said. "

Harper went to see an urgent care doctor, and was told he needed to go to the hospital right away, because his blood count was so low.

"The doctor told him that if he hadn't gone in, he would have passed away within two weeks," Puga said.

Harper's wife Shelley said the support of their friends has been "overwhelming."

"We're so humbled," she said. "This would be so much harder without them walking beside us."

Shelley said, she too, is moved by her husband's attitude.

"He was a Marine, so I always knew he was really tough, but you really see what you're made of, when you go through something like this," Shelley said.