ZANESVILLE, Ohio (June 14, 2019) — The community is invited to give blood in honor of Mariah Swingle at a special American Red Cross blood drive held in her name Friday, June 28, from noon to 6 p.m. at Ohio University Zanesville campus.
A native of Zanesville, Mariah is a 2012 graduate from Tri Valley High School. She loves going on motorcycle rides and participating in her church at Rushing Wind Biker Church. She works as a trainer at The Fieldhouse and is certified in peer support. In May 2014, Mariah was injured in a serious motorcycle accident. Her left leg was amputated and she received multiple blood transfusions to make her treatment possible.
Friends and family of Mariah are thankful to blood donors. “She received multiple units of blood,” said Jamie Swingle, Mariah’s mother. “Mariah is a survivor, and donated blood helped her live.”
Mariah knows blood donors changed the course of her life. “Without the blood transfusions, I would not have survived,” said Mariah. “This blood drive is my way to give back on the five-year anniversary of the accident.”
“There are so many reasons why someone may need blood that we don’t even realize,” said Lori Gaitten, donor recruitment account manager for the Red Cross. “We take for granted that blood will be there at the hospital when we need it, but it can only come from generous volunteer donors. Giving blood in Mariah’s name is a wonderful way to honor her and potentially help others.”
This blood drive comes as the Red Cross is urging individuals to help ensure blood is never missing from hospital shelves by donating blood through the Missing Types campaign. Despite blood’s lifesaving role, only 3 out of 100 people in the U.S. give blood each year. The goal of Missing Types is to inspire new and current blood donors to give this summer and help fill the missing types.
Every two seconds in the United States blood is 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 more than 13,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,500 hospitals nationwide, including 41 hospitals in Central Ohio.
Donate Blood in honor of Mariah Swingle
Friday, June 28, 2019
Noon to 6 p.m.
Ohio University Zanesville, Community Room
1425 Newark Rd., Zanesville, OH 43701
All those who come to donate May 1 to August 31 in the Central Ohio Region will receive a coupon for buy one get one free entry to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and be entered into a weekly drawing for four tickets to Zoombezi Bay through July 31.
How to donate blood
Simply download the 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 and platelet donors can 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, from a computer or mobile device. 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.