Blood drive this weekend in honor of Lakeland boy who needs monthly blood transfusions

LAKELAND, Fla. - Thirteen-month-old Logan Hooker is a happy boy.  You'd never know he was sick.  But if you look closely, the yellow tint of his skin might give it away.

Logan has a rare blood disorder. His mom says his hemoglobin counts are consistently low, making him transfusion dependent.

Without them, mom Amanda Brigandi says, “He would die because his body doesn't produce any red blood cells.  Really what happens is his bone marrow, it produces baby red cells. Before they mature into adult red blood cells, something is breaking them apart."

Despite that general knowledge, Amanda says local doctors haven't been able to give Logan's illness a name and clinical diagnosis. "We've been trying to go out of state. There's a bone marrow failure specialist that we've been trying to see. We've actually applied since October and the insurance is just taking its time. Since we've applied he's had six blood transfusions.  He's not getting any better."

Amanda has Medicaid but says she can't get disability for Logan without a proper medical diagnosis, so she goes on, working as a waitress between doctor's office appointments and hospital visits for transfusions, living day by day, moment by moment. “If I think about the future, I'll be a wreck and cry every day and I can't take care of my kids if I cry.”

She says blood donations this weekend won't go directly to Logan but will go to Florida Blood Services, a blood bank that hospitals use for cases like Logan's.

The blood drive will be held at the Gold and Diamond Source 3800 Ulmerton Road in Clearwater 33762 Saturday February 11 from 10-3pm.

For more info, contact Melissa@handsacrossthebay.com