DAVENPORT, IOWA (May 10, 2023) — Family and friends of the late Reid Gleeson will remember Reid on what would have been his eighth birthday with a “Rally for Reid” blood drive scheduled 11AM-6PM, Thursday, May 11 in the ballroom of Saint Ambrose University's Rogalski Center.
Reid’s mother, Megan Gleeson, is among the first donors on the schedule because she knows the difference blood donors made for her son during the three years he received treatment for Medulloblastoma, a cancer that required surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and a total of 42 blood transfusions over the course of three years.
“After he received blood products, he would look a lot better. He’d get color back in his face and just have more energy,” says Megan in a video for ImpactLife. Watch Reid’s story here — bloodcenter.org/about/testimonials/reid/ — and learn about the Rally for Reid Foundation at rallyforreid.org.
Donors needed in weeks leading up to Memorial Day
ImpactLife is working to maintain a strong and stable blood inventory in the weeks leading up to Memorial Day Weekend and the beginning of summer. To thank donors for their support, the blood center will provide a voucher to redeem for the donor’s choice of an electronic gift card or bonus points to use in the blood center’s Donor Rewards store. From May 1 through June 11, all presenting donors will receive:
- Whole Blood donation (Donor Center locations and mobile blood drives): Choice of $10 electronic gift card or 500 bonus points to use in the ImpactLife Donor Rewards Store;
- Double Red Cell and Plasma only donation: Choice of $25 electronic gift card or 1500 bonus points;
- Platelet donation (first or second time donation with ImpactLife): Choice of $50 electronic gift card or 3000 bonus points; and
- Platelet donation (donor has made two or more donations with ImpactLife): Choice of $25 electronic gift card or 1500 bonus points.
Donor for Life is the ImpactLife scheduling and rewards program. Donors earn points with each donation to redeem for exclusive items recognizing their impact as a volunteer blood donor. For information, see bloodcenter.org/rewards.
About the Rally for Reid Foundation
The Rally for Reid Foundation was started in honor of Reid Gleeson, "the bravest boy we’ve ever met." The Foundation is a tribute to Reid's bravery, resilience, and fight, which left a huge impact on everyone who knew his story and followed his journey. Reid's family and friends honor his memory and keep his spirit alive by supporting children and families impacted by childhood cancer and by supporting research to help find a cure for brain tumors.
About ImpactLife
ImpactLife is a not-for-profit community organization providing blood services to more than 120 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as resource sharing partners across the country. Services extend from southcentral Wisconsin to St Louis, Missouri and from Danville, Illinois to Chariton, Iowa. (See a map of the ImpactLife service region.) ImpactLife operates 22 Donor Centers and holds approximately 5000 mobile blood drives annually to provide blood components needed for patient transfusions at hospitals throughout our region.
For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.
