Kicking off the holiday season of giving, the community of Chatham once again rolled up their sleeves to donate blood at the 9th Annual Stay Strong Michael Red Cross Blood Drive at Chatham High School on Sunday, December 4, 2022. More than 88 donors turned out for the drive, many from Michael’s hometown, but others coming from further distances.
Five local mothers have run this blood drive in honor of Michael DiMaggio, who is currently attending the University of Wisconsin. Michael was severely injured in October 2014 when he was struck by a car while walking home from school on a Main Street sidewalk in Chatham.
Michael suffered life-threatening injuries and required seven blood transfusions within the first 72 hours of the accident. According to his family, Michael’s strength and determination, coupled with the love and support he received, including lifesaving blood from volunteer blood donors, helped lead Michael to a miraculous recovery.
Michael’s mother Nicole DiMaggio, along with Michelle Clark, Melissa Fitzgerald, Marguerite White and Rosalinda Rubio-Williams organized the first annual Stay Strong Michael blood drive that year. The drive has been held every year since, collecting nearly 620 units of blood.
“If it weren’t for volunteer blood donors and blood that was on the hospital shelf, my son would not have been able to recover from that accident, so we are so grateful to volunteer donors who show up day in and day out,” said Nicole DiMaggio.
Most donors, like Nona LeRoux, a Chatham resident and friend of the DiMaggios, donated in honor of Michael. Other donors booked their regular appointments through redcrossblood.org or the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App. Thomas Olson, a regular blood donor, who recently reached a three-gallon milestone, believes in the cause so much that he found this drive on the Red Cross website and traveled from New York by train.
The American Red Cross is always proud to partner with the moms of Chatham, especially during the holiday season when blood donations are typically down. To share your good health and roll up your own sleeve, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass, to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.