“Share What's In Your Heart”

Published by Kirby Winn on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 in News Releases

Inviting blood donors to “Share What’s In Your Heart,” ImpactLife has developed a social media toolkit for heart health awareness during February’s heart month. Ongoing treatment of heart disease is among the leading reasons blood transfusions are given to patients, particularly those who require surgery or develop anemia in connection with their heart ailment. Heart patients and their families share their appreciation for blood donors in the ImpactLife social media toolkit, available at www.bloodcenter.org/heart.

Donors Make a Difference! Heart Warrior Kieran Meyers

Kieran Meyers was born January 11, 2021 with several congenital heart defects and complex medical conditions, including CHARGE Syndrome. He had more than 10 surgeries during his short life, spent in the care of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis. Kieran passed away peacefully on August 21, 2021 in the loving arms of his mother and father. To celebrate his memory, Kieran’s parents host a blood drive annually on his birthday.

According to his parents, Kieran had his first surgery within 24 hours of birth and a week later he had a second surgery to help prepare for future treatment. “Even outside of surgeries, he was very anemic a lot of the time and needed blood transfusions frequently while he was at the children's hospital,” says Kieran’s mother, Victoria Meyers. His father, Dustin Meyers, expressed their appreciation, saying “We’re so grateful for the people who took some time out of their day and gave a little piece of themselves to give to a stranger, which in this case turned out to be a little baby, to let him live on a little bit longer. Each donation and each transfusion gave us that much little bit more time with him.”

Support heart patients by supporting our region’s blood supply

To support heart patients and their families by giving blood, schedule an appointment by calling (800) 747-5401, schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org, or via the ImpactLife mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app). To thank donors, ImpactLife will provide a voucher to redeem for the donor’s choice of an electronic gift card or a green “Changing the World” T-shirt from ImpactLife.

• First-time Whole Blood donors: choice of $25 electronic gift card or Changing the World T-shirt
• Returning Whole Blood donors: choice of $10 electronic gift card or Changing the World T-shirt
• Automated donation procedures (platelets, plasma, double red cell): choice of $25 electronic gift card or Changing the World T-shirt

Additional program details at www.bloodcenter.org/promotions.

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.

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Sample images from the ImpactLife Heart Month social media toolkit, available to download at www.bloodcenter.org/heart