Blood & Platelet Drive
in Support of Jessica Petti

December 5, 2015

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UNION, NJ � Community Blood Services will hold a blood and platelet drive on December 5 in the township in support of Jessica Piano Petti who recently had a bone marrow stem cell transplant to treat her leukemia.

The drive, being organized by the township�s Ford family, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Knights of Columbus #4504, 1034 Jeanette Avenue. Anyone interested in donating can call 201-251-3703 or schedule online. Whole blood walk ins are also welcome but an appointment is needed to donate platelets.

On July 4, 2013 what started out as a routine doctor�s visit for Jessica Petti turned into news that would forever change her life and the lives of her husband, Mike, and 3-year-old son, Nico. That day Jessica was diagnosed with leukemia. In November 2013 Jessica received a wonderful gift, a bone marrow stem cell transplant. After a difficult recovery she went into remission but on July 3, 2015 30-year-old Jessica was told her leukemia had returned and she underwent another bone marrow transplant on November 5 at HackensackUMC.

�Jessica�s friends and family are joining Jessica in her fight to get well,� said Jim Ford, the drive�s organizer. He said Jessica and her husband, who live in East Hanover, grew up in Union and Jessica�s family has a business there, noting one of Jessica�s goals after her first transplant was to give back and help other patients like her so this blood drive was scheduled.

�Please consider donating blood or platelets in loving support of Jessica,� Ford added. Donors must be healthy, 17-75 years of age (16 and 17 years old with parental permission) and weigh at least 110 pounds.