Sean Thompson with an award given to him by teammates at his football awards banquet. Courtesy photo.

#13 Honorary Blood Drive to be held Saturday, November 24

Three months and a day after a tragic fatal accident tore through the hearts of three North Kent County families, the community is coming together to turn this tragedy into lifesaving gifts.

On August 23, 2012, Wyatt Phillips, 16, and Johnny Klaasen, 16, both of Cedar Springs, and Sean Thompson, 16, of Sparta Township, were involved in a single car crash on White Creek Avenue NE. Phillips died at the scene, when the car he was driving struck a tree. Back seat passenger Sean Thompson was pinned in the vehicle and it took rescuers an hour to free him. He was taken by AeroMed helicopter to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. In the process of his rescue, Sean lost a great deal of blood and he required multiple transfusions.

On Saturday, November 24, 2012, Sean’s family and friends will host the #13 Honorary Blood Drive from 9 am—3 pm at 4011 17 Mile Road, Cedar Springs. The Michigan Blood bus will be parked outside Tractor Supply Company. The drive is named for Sean’s number in football. Sean is currently undergoing rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed and learning to walk again.

Members of the community are invited to participate in the #13 drive in Sean’s honor. To donate, you must be 17 years old (16 with parental or guardian consent), in good health, and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. Appointments are not required, but available through www.miblood.org or by calling 1-866-MIBLOOD (642-5663). As a way of thanking the community for taking time out of their busy holiday weekend, Michigan Blood will offer every person who attempts to donate a $10 Meijer gift card.

Tami Elliston, Sean’s mom, is most grateful for the support of her family, friends, Sean’s school, and the community, and says the family is hosting this blood drive to help pay it forward. “Sean needed total of ten transfusions, and thankfully generous volunteer donors had stepped up to donate. We want to do the same for others. One out of seven people entering the hospital require blood – not just for accidents but for cancer treatment, chronic disease management, burns and surgery. We found out that the holiday season can lead to blood shortages because families are busy, but the need for blood never takes a vacation. Every two seconds someone needs blood. We’re hosting our drive over the Thanksgiving weekend to say thank you to all those who have helped Sean, and who are willing to help others.”

Where can you save lives and eat ice cream?  Try to donate blood at Mamrelund Lutheran Church, 4085 Lutheran Church Road, on Wednesday, Aug. 3 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and you’ll be treated to an ice cream social.

“The summer months are the most difficult time for us to connect with donors,” said Nick Wasmiller, manager of public relations at Michigan Blood. “Yet, the need for blood is greatest during those times.  We hope that special incentives like the one at Mamrelund Lutheran Church will encourage donors to take a little time out of their day to give blood.”

Donors are encouraged to make an appointment by calling 1-866-MIBLOOD or visiting miblood.org. Walk-ins are welcome.  Any healthy person who is at least 17 years of age and weighs at least 110 pounds may be eligible to donate blood every 56 days. Individuals who are 16 years old can donate with parental permission. Donors should remember to bring photo ID or two pieces of non-photo ID.

Pierson Bible Church will host its very first community blood drive on Wednesday, September 30, and blood drive organizer Michigan Community Blood Centers hopes everyone in the community will take part in this lifesaving effort.

The blood drive will take place at the church, 101 W. Grand St, Pierson, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Donors who prefer an appointment can call the church at (616) 636-5542 to schedule a time to donate. However, walk-ins are also welcome throughout the drive.

Any healthy person 17 or older who weighs at least 110 pounds may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. On average, one out of every seven people entering the hospital will need blood, and each pint of donated blood can help as many as three people. Everyone who attempts to donate will receive a free t-shirt.

The blood drive at Pierson Bible Church will be conducted by staff from Michigan Community Blood Centers, an independent nonprofit blood bank that provides blood to hospitals in four regions of the state.

“By donating blood at Pierson Bible Church’s drive, people will be giving the gift of life to directly benefit patients in West Michigan hospitals,” said Heidi McDaniel, Director of Mobile Recruitment for West Michigan. “These hospitals care for people from a very large portion of the state.”

Michigan Community Blood Centers collects more than 100,000 pints of blood each year to provide the blood supply for hospitals in four major regions of the state with a combined population of 1.5 million. After meeting local hospitals’ needs, Michigan Community Blood Centers also regularly responds to blood needs beyond the local community, including military and disaster-related calls for blood. More information about Michigan Community Blood Centers can be found at www.miblood.org.