Select Board Chair Erin Noonan, whose daughter is fighting cancer, is letting the community know about a Red Cross blood drive at the Gerry 5 on Thursday, Feb. 8, 9 a.m.-7 p.m, at 210 Beacon Street.
Noonan’s daughter, Caroline, was recently diagnosed with the pediatric cancer Ewing sarcoma. (Read a letter Noonan wrote to the community last month.
“Among other needs, cancer patients rely on blood transfusions throughout treatment,” Noonan told the Current on Jan. 17. “There’s been a national shortage I didn’t know about until we became patients.”
The Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage on Jan. 7. In fact, the agency is experiencing the lowest number of people giving blood in the last 20 years.
“One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, the nation’s largest blood supplier.
“A person needs life saving blood every two seconds in our country… however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve and donate,” he added.
To schedule an appointment at the Gerry 5, visit redcrossblood.org, enter Marblehead’s zip code 01945 and click “By Distance” to find the Gerry 5.
