Lock Haven University issued the following announcement on Jan. 26.
Blood donations save lives - and to Lock Haven University sophomore, Hannah Freezer, of Muncy, that statement couldn't hold more truth. LHU will honor Freezer, a cancer survivor, by dedicating their upcoming blood donation drives in her name.
On April 30, 2011 - at the age of 9 - Freezer was diagnosed with the blood cancer, Acute Lymphatic Leukemia (ALL). For the next two and a half years, she underwent chemotherapy treatment that included chemo pills, overnight treatments in the hospital and chemo through an IV, as well as a week of radiation.
As many cancer patients do, Freezer unfortunately endured several side effects during her chemo treatments. In the first few months of treatment she developed a fungus in her liver, landing her in the hospital for a month and also developed steroid-induced diabetes.
Freezer was in third grade when she was diagnosed with ALL and she said going through treatments while in school was a challenge, but the support she received from her family, friends and teachers motivated her to push on.
"There would be days I couldn't go to school because of blood work not being what it should, not being able to be with my friends, feeling too weak to learn anything and finally feeling uncomfortable because I was bald or not having much hair at all," Freezer said. "My friends being supportive about my discomfort about being bald helped me want to keep going to school. All my friends, teachers and other staff were always there for my ups and downs of the treatment process."
She said she received an outpouring of support from people around her once they found out she had cancer and she continues to receive tremendous amounts of support and encouragement from everyone she meets. "They love what I have done with my life after having cancer and not letting it bring my down," she added.
Blood donations were crucial to Freezer's treatment because the type of cancer she had was eating at her blood cells and she needed new cells put into her body through blood and platelet transfusions. "If people didn't donate blood and platelets I would not be here today," Freezer said. "Those transfusions saved my life and many others like me."
Now, eight years cancer free, Freezer is a thriving college student majoring in communication with a minor in community and public health education at The Haven. She also is a member of the Circle K Club and the Red Cross Club, which is sponsoring the blood drives in Freezer's honor.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood drives have been cancelled, drastically depleting blood reserves for those in need. "Individuals are still receiving regular cancer treatments that require blood donations, just like Hannah did," said Chrissy Wise, assistant director of community service at LHU. "It's important to continue to donate when possible. Blood donations do save lives and allow students like Hannah to live healthy lives after treatment."
The blood drives will be held from 1-6 p.m. on February 2 and 3 in the Student Recreation Center and are open to the public.
To schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit redcrossblood.org and enter the code LHUNIVERSITY to choose LHU's campus drive in honor of Hannah Freezer.
Original source can be found here.
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