Stanford Blood Center Partners with NC Fit to Help Owner’s Daughter Beat Leukemia

September 20, 2016
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 partnering with local gym NorCal Fitness (NC Fit) to help 2008 CrossFit Games champion Jason Khalipa’s four-year-old daughter Ava beat lymphoblastic leukemia and raise awareness about blood donation.

Khalipa organized the first blood drive in Ava’s honor in February 2016 at his San Jose NC Fit location. Based on that drive’s success, he is now using his celebrity along with the NC Fit Team, to organize a national #AvaWillWin Blood Drive that will be hosted at more than 100 CrossFit affiliates. The national campaign kicks off Saturday, September 24 from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at NC Fit, 2541 Seaboard Avenue, San Jose.

“It doesn’t matter how much money you have; without someone donating blood, my daughter wouldn’t be here with us today,” said Khalipa. “We are so thankful to everyone who has come out already to help Ava.”

SBC, in partnership with NC Fit, is inviting everyone to join the fight against blood cancers. People who want to help can make an appointment to donate blood at sbcdonor.org, or register to become a bone marrow donor at bethematch.org.

“Every three minutes, someone like little Ava is diagnosed with blood cancer,” said Loren Magaña, spokesperson for SBC. “Thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia and sickle cell anemia need blood and marrow donors to survive.”

For more information go to www.nc.fit/ava. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit sbcdonor.org or call 888-723-7831.

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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.