Bella Carabin-Lindgren and her grandmother, Ellen Carabin, headed for breakfast after stopping at Penn State New Kensington's blood drive to visit with donors whose blood will help Bella's cancer treatments.
Nine-year-old Isabella Carabin-Lindgren
getting treatment for brain cancer
UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Nine-year-old Isabella “Bella” Carabin-Lindgren will again be the beneficiary of Penn State New Kensington’s semiannual community Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, in the campus Art Gallery.
Bella, a fourth-grader at Mary Queen of Apostles School in the nearby city of New Kensington, was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma when she was 10 months old. A stem cell transplant, chemotherapy and numerous blood transfusions arrested the disease. She lived in remission until last year, before undergoing surgery and beginning chemotherapy. Her treatments will continue through 2015. The campus blood drive will help replenish the supply used for Bella’s transfusions.
In the fall, 40 units of blood were donated at the campus, which has a strong history of giving back to the community. In the past 10 years, the campus has supplied nearly 900 units of blood for use in the local area.
Bella attended the fall blood drive to show her appreciation to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community for their blood donations that will help her ongoing treatments for brain cancer. She hugged the first campus donor, Kaitlin Bell, a second-year radiological sciences major.
“I want to thank you for donating blood to me and helping me to get better,” said Bella, who is undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Elaine Zarichnak, the campus nurse, is heading the community effort. She is encouraging novice donors to use Bella’s story as the impetus for donating. The Central Blood Bank will collect, store and deliver the blood. Donors of all blood types from the campus and the local community are needed.
Appointments are not necessary as walk-ins are welcome. A free cholesterol screening is available to each donor. The blood drive is made possible through the efforts of donors, canteen volunteers and Zarichnak.
For information about the blood drive, contact Zarichnak at 724-334-6066 or emz3@psu.edu
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Central Blood Bank staff members help collect blood from donors at Penn State New Kensington's 2014 fall blood drive.
Nine-year-old Bella Carabin-Lindgren was the recipient of campus donors' generosity.