The Impact of Your Local Blood Donation - - - A Story of Hope
- Editor
- Oct 6
- 2 min read
The Rimersburg Lions Club will be sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive with the help of Union High School students of the National Honor Society on Monday, November 10, 2025, from noon to 5:00 p.m. in the Edward Jamison Auxiliary Gym of Union High School, located at 354 Baker Street in Rimersburg. Local residents are urged to schedule an appointment for the blood drive by visiting www.redcrossblood.org or by calling the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.
The American Red Cross has recently noted an example of the impact a local blood donation can have for a seriously ill individual by issuing “A Story of Hope for Kinzie Frey,” as follows:
After months of vague symptoms and emergency room visits, 6-year-old Kinzie Frey was diagnosed with stage 4, high-risk neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that can grow into tumors. Her tumor was collectively the size of a mini basketball, originating on her right adrenal gland, and was tangled throughout her abdomen.
Her doctors began an aggressive treatment protocol to fight the cancer with chemotherapy and a procedure to remove some of her stem cells that were preserved and given back to her in two stem cell transplants.
The transplants required many months of hospitalization and isolation from the public, and then Kinzie developed a late complication from the stem cell transplant that caused her body to break down blood cells at an alarming rate. This then required numerous blood and platelet transfusions.
Over 18 months, Kinzie received 46 blood cell transfusions and 72 platelet transfusions.
In the end, her grateful mother stated, "If it weren't for the generosity of blood donors, Kinzie wouldn't be here with us today. Those blood donations aren't only a gift to Kinzie but to our family, friends, and supporters.”
“This is just one example of the great gift your blood donation can provide to a seriously ill individual. So please schedule your appointment to give blood at the Rimersburg Blood Drive on Monday, November 10th,” Rimersburg Lions Club Blood Drive Leader, Greg Mortimer stated.
