|
(March 16, 2007, ATLANTA) – The American Red Cross Midtown Blood Donor Center is moving, after 35 years of taking blood donations in the building on Monroe Drive. Other lesser known, but vitally important work has also taken place in that building, says Red Cross Southern Region Chief Medical Director Dr. Krista Hillyer. The building houses the processing and distribution center for blood needed to save the lives of millions of adults and children.
One of those children was five year old Alexandra Westenfelder, who had a rare genetic disorder called Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency or LAD that affected her immune system. Alex developed life-threatening bacterial infections throughout her body because her abnormal white blood cells could not stave off infection. She needed transfusions of healthy white cells.
The Midtown Donor Center and a tree dedicated to Alex have both been moved up the driveway to the Red Cross building on the hill just behind the old blood building. The tree will be rededicated on Wednesday, March 21 at 11:30 during the grand opening ceremony for the new center.
"Because of their compromised immune systems, patients like Alex require carefully matched blood cells that will not cause transfusion reactions," explained Dr. Hillyer. "For her this started a search for compatible donors who were willing and able to give white cells. White cell donation requires donors to take strong medication that stimulates their white cell production. They must then come in for a two to three hour donation process."
Alex’s father Mark Westenfelder was a multiple white cell donor for his daughter. "I remember how impressed and overwhelmed I was by the tenacity of the Red Cross to find others whose blood would be compatible with Alex’s. Red Cross employees even donated for Alex and often worked into the night to process the white cells," he said.
The white cells, Hillyer said, are viable only for 24 hours, so they must be processed and transfused very quickly.
These cells were transfused to Alex for 30 consecutive days and enabled her to fight off infection. The transfusions gave her a second chance at Duke Children’s Hospital, where she spent seven months and underwent three bone marrow transplants to cure her disease. Her body rejected each of the transplants and Alex died on March 8, 2001.
The Red Cross worked with Alex’s parents to plant a tree in her memory in front of the old blood building. "I visited this tree often over the last six years, watering it and watching it grow," said Mark. "I tied pink ribbons on the branches, decorated it for the holidays and remembered the support we received from Red Cross."
The center has moved due to the Red Cross Blood Services upcoming relocation to a new facility in Douglas County. The blood building at 1925 Monroe Drive has been sold to Gables Residential, who will put up a new structure in its place with upscale apartments. The Red Cross building on the hill will remain, as will the new donor center and Alex’s tree.
The grand opening of the new donor center will be part of a week of events held from Sunday, March 18 through Saturday, March 24. There will be food, free gifts and raffles for all visitors. Sponsors include Bluebell Ice Cream, Chipolte, City Express, Dynamex, Fenwal, SUBWAY, Papa Johns Pizza, Happy Herman’s, Roxx, Touch of Georgia, Starbucks Coffee, Taco Mac, Signature Baskets, Baskets-N-Bows, Hilton Hotels, The Georgia Renaissance Festival, Bold American Catering, LongHorn Steakhouse, Baxter Corporation, Gambro Corporation and Pall Corporation.
###
|
