Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 15, 2018) — The community is invited to give blood in honor of Emery Twehues at a special American Red Cross blood drive held in her name Saturday, July 21, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Saint Bernadette School in Lancaster.
Emery is a happy and energetic child who turns 5 this August. She was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia on Easter of this year. She has received blood and platelet transfusions during her months of intense treatments. She may need more transfusions as her treatment continues.
Her parents are no strangers to the complexity of the medical world. Her mother, Morgan, is a post-doctoral researcher in radiation and oncology at the Ohio State University Medical Center, and her father, Andrew serves as a pulmonologist at Fairfield Medical Center. “Emery would not be able to recovery from her chemotherapy without lifesaving transfusions,” said Morgan.
Red Cross volunteer Joyce Guenther is helping coordinate the blood drive for Emery to raise awareness about how important blood donors are in helping treat patients with cancer. “We are honoring a sweet little girl,” said Guenther. “Many cancer patients need lifesaving blood products during treatment. We are asking people to help patients like Emery by giving blood now in her name.”
“There are so many reasons why someone may need blood that we don’t even realize,” said Jane MacMillan, 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 Emery’s name is a wonderful way to honor her and potentially help others in need.”
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. The goal of Missing Types is to inspire new blood donors and those who haven’t given in a while to give this summer and become a regular blood donor for patients in need in the years to come. For the past four years, new Red Cross blood donors have declined by about 80,000 each year. More blood donors are needed now to fill the gaps.
Donate blood in honor of Emery Twehues
Saturday, July 21, 2018
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saint Bernadette School
1325 Wheeling Road, NE, Lancaster, OH 43130
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 2,600 hospitals nationwide.
Everyone who comes to donate now through September 3 can receive an exclusive Cedar Fair ticket offer that helps support the Red Cross, and enter to win one of two grand prize packages for four to Knott’s Berry Farm in California or Cedar Point in Ohio. Blood drive participants can go to RedCrossBlood.org/CedarFair to purchase discounted tickets for gate admission and enter to win one of the two grand prize packages. For each ticket purchased through the website, Cedar Fair will donate $2 to the Red Cross to support its humanitarian mission. Terms and conditions apply and are available at RedCrossBlood.org/CedarFair. Those who come to donate with the Red Cross in Central Ohio now through August 31 can also receive a Columbus Zoo and Aquarium buy one get one free entry coupon.
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 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.