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Red Cross Holds Blood Drives for Girl With Cancer

HAZLE TOWNSHIP — In Luzerne County, dozens of people came out today to help support a 6-year-old girl battling a rare form of cancer. The American Red Cro...

HAZLE TOWNSHIP -- In Luzerne County, dozens of people came out today to help support a 6-year-old girl battling a rare form of cancer.

The American Red Cross held several blood drives in the girl's honor.

Audrianna Bartol, 6, of Hazleton loves Disney princesses, and movies, and she can't wait to go to Disney World.

Her mother said, for the past four years, she has been fighting for her life .

"Audrianna's cancer is terminal, she was relapsed and she was fighting relapse and during the relapse, they found new cancer that they could not surgically remove," said Angela Bartol.

Audrianna's mother said there is no cure for Neuroblastoma, only treatments.

Audrianna gets daily doses of medicines, and she needs several blood donations as part of her battle.

So, the local chapter of the American Red Cross heard about Audrianna and wanted to help.

In Audrianna's honor, several blood drives were held in Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Schuylkill counties, collecting almost 300 units of blood.

To help keep the blood supply up, and make sure patients like Audrianna are always taken care of.

"For the American Red Cross to do blood drives and to have them in four different locations at the same time in honor of Audrianna, it's amazing for us, that so many people want to come out and want to help," said Angela Bartol.

Before each donor gives blood, they sign a sheet of paper in honor of Audrianna, and send her well wishes.

"We've done motorcycle runs for her, we've done the Santa Claus for her, different things, anything that has Audrianna's name on it, we're there," said Joe Minor of McAdoo.

"To actually see the person you're giving it to, it sort of hits a little bit closer to home when you actually see the person, like I'm doing a good thing," said Colyn Rodriguez of Hazleton.

If you are interested in donating, just head to the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel at 700 Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton, Coal Street Ice Rink at 38 Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre, Best Western Genetti Inn & Suites at 1341 North Church Street in Hazle Township, and Fairlane Village Mall at 7211 Fairlane Village Mall in Pottsville.

The drives end at 7pm.

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