Blood drive honors patient

Cancer survivor responding to chemotherapy

The family of cancer patient Donna Schafer of Grafton and LifeShare Community Blood Services of Lorain County hosted a replacement blood drive March 11 as a way to show Schafer support through her struggle with cancer and give back to the community blood supply that cancer patients rely so heavily upon.

Schafer’s family decided to host a blood drive in her honor because they know just how important the blood supply is to cancer patients like Schafer, according to a news release.

Schafer was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in August 2016, the release said. The tumor was surgically removed in October 2016, along with 18 lymph nodes that showed no sign of further invasion.

After surgery, Schafer and her family were told that she had beaten the cancer. However, one year later, the tumor metastasized to her liver, according to the release.

Schafer began chemotherapy in December 2017 and has one more round to complete. The chemotherapy appears to be working, as the tumor has shrunk significantly in size and has remained localized to the liver, the release said.

Without chemotherapy, she likely wouldn’t have lived a year, according to the release.

Schafer’s oncologist indicated that chemotherapy will prolong her life between one and three years – or longer if the cancer goes into remission.

“Her surgeon has told us he has seen patients live five or more years,” said Schafer’s husband, Alan Schafer. “It is our prayer that God would give Donna a few more years, and so far, things appear very promising.”

Donna Schafer’s treatment relied on blood transfusions as a means to keep her immune system healthy enough to continue treatment, the release said.

Between each of her last three rounds, she required blood and platelet transfusions to stabilize her hemoglobin and platelet levels.

Her treatment has required six units of blood and five units of platelets.

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often experience low blood counts, which can put a person at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding.

In Donna Schafer’s case, her hemoglobin levels were low, resulting in anemia. People with anemia require red blood cell transfusions because their body is not generating enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to all of the cells in their body, the release said.

Additionally, Donna Schafer required platelet transfusions.

According to the American Cancer Society, platelets are produced in bone marrow, which is often damaged by chemotherapy.

When platelet levels are low, patients become atrisk for dangerous bleeding.

“The replacement drive for Donna Schafer resulted in 29 units of blood,” Mike Salisbury, said director of donor recruitment for LifeShare. “Each unit can save up to three lives, meaning Donna’s friends and family were able to give treatment and hope to 87 people while supporting Donna.”

Northeast Ohio requires 40,000 units of blood per year to meet the needs of its hospitals. Every two seconds, a patient in the U.S. needs blood. Type O and Type B-negative blood donations are the most critically needed at this time, however all blood types are welcome, the release said.

LifeShare Community Blood Services urges existing and first-time donors to make appointments over the next several days and in the coming weeks.

Visit www.lifesharedonor.org or call 866-6445433 to schedule an appointment at one of the donor centers or at a mobile blood drive. Walk-ins are welcome at their locations.