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Jacob Thompson’s family wants your blood

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- The family of Jacob Thompson is holding a blood drive in their son's honor after he died in November after a nearly four-year battle with cancer.

Thompson's story received nationwide attention after his family spread his request for Christmas cards because they were worried he would not live to celebrate the holiday. Thompson died on November 19, 2017.

His father, Roger Guay, said his son received more than 100 blood transfusions during his treatment for Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. He said those transfusion brought him unexpected experiences.

"He was a fighter. He was a fighter that one," said Guay.

"When the transfusion was just about done, just the last bit coming through the line, it was like someone turned on a light," said his stepmother Tara Artinyan.

"He was running and playing ball and being his normal self again. It was just inspiring to me. It made me so happy and I wanted to go out there and play with him too," said Guay.

The family is holding the drive on Tuesday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel on Congress Street in Portland. (REGISTER HERE)

"We'll be glad to tell them all about our wonderful boy -- you know -- what a difference giving blood today would have made for him and will make for someone who's going to get the blood," said Guay.

The blood drive comes at a critical time for the American Red Cross of Maine. Spokespeople say the widespread flu and recent winter storms have decreased the amount of people able and willing to donate blood, marking a nearly 15 to 20 percent drop in donors in the past week. They say they are behind by hundreds of units.

One unit can help up to three people.

The Red Cross has a new "blood mobile," which brings the donation center to the donors. Typically, donors need to travel to a location to give blood. The new bus, outfitted with the same equipment, can assist five donors at once.

"Its going to give us the ability to get into some communities that we haven't been to before," said Kathy Vincent with the Red Cross.

Vincent expects the bus will help in rural communities, which are oftentimes not equipped to hold a blood drive, or are too far from donation centers for donors to travel to.

The Thompson's hope people will register for the drive ahead of time. It will be his father's first time donating blood. You can follow Jacob's Journey here.

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