‘Tis the season to donate blood – the greatest gift of all for a patient in need. Give blood at one of Versiti’s upcoming Season of Giving Blood Drives and help children like Thomas Williams, a leukemia survivor and transfusion recipient.

“Blood products are the greatest gift of all… the gift of life!” says Thomas, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia shortly after his 2nd birthday and endured grueling chemotherapy to combat his cancer. As part of his treatment, he received blood transfusions to keep his body strong.

Today, Thomas is doing well, and his mom Lori encourages others to donate blood and save the lives of kids like Thomas. “I didn’t know until Thomas was in treatment that pretty much every child that goes through cancer treatment gets blood products,” she says. “It really does save lives.”

The holidays can be tough for hospitalized patients and their loved ones – especially if the trend of decreased blood donations in winter continues. Please spare a moment this season to give the life-changing gift of blood and hope for these families.