NORTH EAST, Md. – Because of the role transfusions played in the recovery of Hunter McCoy Smith, family, friends, and neighbors in the close-knit town of North East, Maryland have made the biannual blood drive held in his honor a resounding success.
Indeed, Blood Bank of Delmarva Account Manager Mary Moore and blood drive coordinator Connor Bouchelle are set to hold the seventh, biannual blood drive – fall edition – from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, November 8 at the VFW in North East.
Hunter will turn 4 years old on November 23, and that is thanks in part to the transfusions of blood products he received during his battle with childhood cancer. An Atypical Teratoid Rhabadoid Tumor in his brain was surgically removed when he was just 6 months old, and he continued with chemotherapy treatment. Since then, he has only continued to improve, reports his mother, Jordyn Yedinak.
Bouchelle, Yedinak, and several other family members, friends, customers from Bouchelle’s farm (Cedar Springs Farms) and neighbors in the North East have continued to give back for the lifesaving transfusions Hunter received, helping BBD to usher in the season of Thanksgiving each year in November. The regular donors include Barbie Barker, Jenny Barker, Lisa Conner, Wayne Young, Kelly Weber, and Joe Yedinak, who is Hunter’s grandfather.
The biannual blood drive is also held in early spring.
The inaugural event held in November 2021 drew 90 donors, and since then Bouchelle has regularly pulled in about 60 loyal donors for each draw since. Barbie Barker has donated at every Hunter blood drive.
To sign up for this blood drive, book here, or please call 888-8-BLOOD-8.
