The community is invited to give blood in honor of Jonah Kreutzjans at a special American Red Cross blood drive Tuesday, April 18, from 2 to 7 p.m. at Sand Creek Elementary School in North Vernon.
Jonah is an energetic kindergartener at Graham Creek Elementary School. He loves playing baseball, having fun with his two younger brothers and cheering on the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. In June 2016, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL. Throughout his treatment Jonah has received blood transfusions on a regular basis and may need more as treatment continues.
The Kreutzjans family hopes the community will give blood in his honor. “Our family appreciates having a blood drive in honor of our son,” said Courtney Kreutzjans, Jonah’s mother. “We hope that his story and fight with cancer will continue to raise awareness of childhood cancer.”
“Hosting this blood drive in his name is a wonderful way to honor Jonah and help patients in need,” said Donna Watkins, account manager for the Red Cross Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region.
Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect nearly 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals nationwide.
Blood drive in honor of Jonah Kreutzjans
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
2 to 7 p.m.
Sand Creek Elementary School
1450 W. County Road 500 North, North Vernon, IN 47265
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit
redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit
redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit
redcross.org or
cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at
@RedCross.
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