Help Stanford Blood Center Send Pediatric Transplant Recipients to Summer Camp

August 31, 2017
Attention News Desk: Press Release (for immediate release)
MEDIA CONTACT:
Loren Magaña 650-529-5828
lmagana@stanford.edu

STANFORD, Calif. —Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is asking the public to help send 50 pediatric transplant recipients to a special summer camp hosted by Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

The weeklong camp, called the Annual Solid Organ Transplant Camp by Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, gives children who have received solid organ transplants the full summer camp experience, while providing access to nurses and medical supplies to manage their chronic illnesses.

“Providing a summer camp for children with chronic illness is very important to their healing process,” said Kirsten Cotton-Sheldon, recreational therapy and child life specialist with Packard Children’s. “And we believe these campers can experience a type of healing that is only found in nature.”

During the SBC Kids to Camp campaign, every person who donates blood September 11 – 25 at any of their donor centers or mobile blood drives, SBC will make a financial contribution to the camp.

If you are unable to donate blood, you can still help by making a monetary donation at sbckidstocamp.org. While any amount is appreciated, a gift of $200 sponsors one camper for the entire week.

“This amazing camp offers pediatric transplant recipients a chance to just be a kid, not a patient,” said Loren Magaña, spokesperson for SBC. “And it provides them the unique chance to meet others who have gone through similar experiences.”

Media are invited to attend the public SBC Kids to Camp kickoff celebration, Monday, September 11^th from 8:00am –10:00am at Stanford Blood Center, 3373 Hillview Ave. Palo Alto, CA.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood (and help some very deserving children in the process), visit sbcdonor.org or call 888-723-7831

#####

Stanford Blood Center was created at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978 to meet the complex transfusion needs of Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, as well as provide tailored blood products and clinical trial services for school researchers. Today the center provides blood products to 4 local hospitals and is a recognized leader in the field of transfusion medicine. More information is available at stanfordbloodcenter.org.