When 2-year-old Aidan Stewart was being treated for liver cancer at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, he re-quired hours-long transfusions of donor blood plasma every day. Three pints of plasma, which came from six different donors, would be added to his blood after his own plasma was extracted. During his treatment and recovery from a liver transplant, he had more than 200 transfusions.
"This was just one little kid in one hospital who needed so much in blood products," said Kimberly Stewart, his mother. "Imagine the need across the country."
The medical treatments that Aidan received inspired his mother and father, Kevin Stewart, of Plainville, to start an annual blood drive to help ensure that people will have the blood products they need for medical treatment. The 3rd annual Aidan Stewart Memorial Blood Drive will be held Friday, March 28, from 11:45 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., at St. Alo-ysius Church, 254 Burritt St., in the Plantsville section of Southington. A ziti and meatball supper, prepared by mem-bers of the church Ladies Guild, parish community and others, will be served afterward.
Kimberly, as in the previous two blood drives, will be the first donor. Last year, about 150 units were collected. Or-ganizers anticipate that the March 28 event will be one of the largest in Connecticut. As a result, the blood drive is longer than most and the American Red Cross staff has been doubled. "There's such a shortage all the time," Kimberly said.
March 3, 2008, the second anniversary of Aidan's death, was observed with family - including his sister, Jennifer, and brother, Eric - and friends at a Mass at St. Aloysius Church. Kimberly later visited a stone inscribed with his name located at a children's memorial in Newington.
Aidan's life and death set her on a new course in life: she is pursuing a degree in registered nursing at Tunxis Com-munity College and then plans to enter the nursing program at Naugatuck Valley Community College. "After Aidan, I was inspired. I had always wanted to do nursing and [he] reminded me of my calling," she said.
"We urge you to consider blood donation. The need is real and someone like Aidan is needing your donation today," Kimberly said.
To make an appointment, call (800) GIVE-LIFE or visit the Web site www.givelife.org.