GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two weeks ago, Michigan hospitals put out the alert: They were facing ashortage of blood. Spectrum Health employees responded in force.
During a 10-day period, they accounted for 10% of all blood donations in the state.
The call to end the shortage was especially close to the heart of one registered nurse because blood is key to his daughter’s fight for life.
A registered nurse at Spectrum Health, Aaron Lockwood specializes in orthopedic and neurosurgery.
It became real to him two months ago, when his daughter received a diagnosis that set her up for the fight of her life.
“Her name is Madison Lockwood. She’s a 10-year-old girl who was a healthy girl up until it was Nov. 20 that she was diagnosed with leukemia,” Lockwood said.
Maddie spent nearly four weeks at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She still goes back multiple times per week for chemotherapy and blood transfusions.
It was during one of those transfusions that Spectrum Health put out the call for blood donors. Lockwood rolled up his sleeve.
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