Thirteen-year-old Carly Nieves from Maspeth is one of the 2,000 people in New York City who are waiting for a blood transfusion. Suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Carly needs periodic blood transfusions to recover from chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of blood and donors in the city.
Carly is attending I.S. 73 in Maspeth and will graduate in 2011.
“When you’re told there’s no blood for her [Carly], it’s devastating,” said Carly’s mom, Lisa Horner. “It’s not like you can just come back tomorrow.”
The New York Blood Center and Friends of Karen are holding a blood drive for Carly and everyone else in need of blood at Christ the King High School on Saturday, December 18 from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. New York Blood Center is the largest community-based non-profit blood center in the city. Friends of Karen is a non-profit organization that helps support critically ill children and their parents.
Inez Quentant of the New York Blood Center told the public at last Wednesday’s Community Board 5 meeting that the goal is to collect 200 pints of blood. “If you have one hour of your day to spare, roll up your sleeves and donate one pint of blood,” Quentant said. That pint of blood is enough to help save three lives.
Horner and Quentant intend to make the blood drive a fun event for the community. There will be face painting for kids and a raffle.
Donating one pint of blood or registering to be a bone marrow donor at the blood drive will not only help Carly, but the thousands suffering from blood-related cancers like Leukemia.
For more information or to make an appointment to donate blood, contact Lisa Horner at lhorner67@gmail.com. Christ the King High School is located on 68-02 Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village at the intersection of 69th Street.
1 comment:
I think this is a wonderful cause and I will surely be there to help!I think everyone in the neighborhood should come too!
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