We Bree-Lieve in the power of donating blood
Kristin Coppens
| 2 min read
It can be hard to really see where your blood donations will go and who they will impact, yet that notion helps individuals understand the necessity and implications of their good deed. For example, Bree, who is a little girl currently at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, survives from the generous donations of strangers.
Bree was diagnosed in May of 2012, at just eight years old, with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a cancer that is rare in children and has a 60 percent cure rate. After a visit to the doctor for a fever and a few unexplained bruises, the doctor contacted Bree’s mother to have her bring Bree to the hospital immediately. She received multiple immediate blood transfusions, a central line and platelets. In November of 2013, Bree relapsed and needed a bone marrow transplant. She is currently in the hospital after receiving the transplant in February of this year.
Those blood transfusions and the bone marrow transplant, made possible by Be The Match at Michigan Blood and generous blood and marrow donors, have saved Bree’s life and made it possible for her to share her story with others. Though her road to recovery is still long with bumps along the way, her prognosis is good and she is a real fighter. Her family has set up a Facebook page, We Bree-Lieve, to keep others updated on Bree’s health status and share her triumphs and tribulations.
As a part of LaughFest, Blue Care Network and Michigan Blood are coming together for the second year in a row to support blood donations and Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids by hosting a series of blood drives. The blood drive takes place on four separate days in Grand Rapids and Lowell.
Michigan Blood Donor Center
1036 Fuller NE, Grand Rapids
Monday, March 3, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
1036 Fuller NE, Grand Rapids
Monday, March 3, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
BCN Cascade Office on the Blood Bus
611 Cascade West Pkwy SE, Grand Rapids
Tuesday, March 4, 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
611 Cascade West Pkwy SE, Grand Rapids
Tuesday, March 4, 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
King Memorial Youth Center
225 S. Hudson St., Lowell
Wednesday, March 5, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday, March 10, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
225 S. Hudson St., Lowell
Wednesday, March 5, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday, March 10, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Blood donations are needed for a wide range of health problems. Most known are trauma victims and surgical patients; however, it is also needed for those with blood disorders, cancers, and chemotherapy and radiation patients like Bree. The typical donation is about one unit of blood, which equates to about a pint. Contrary to perceived belief, blood donation will not decrease your strength in any way.
Will you be joining us in donating blood this year?
Photo credit: We Bree-Lieve
