September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
DOVER, DE – Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) hosted the third annual Remy’s Heroes blood drive in honor of 11-year-old Remy, who has been fighting lymphoma since 2022, on Thursday, September 25. He is a two-time cancer survivor and bone marrow transplant recipient, thanks to his then 3-year-old sister, Evangeline. Remy is the son of Jen Welch, an employee at the Delaware Department of Insurance, and her colleagues help to organize this blood drive each year.
In gratitude for the blood donors he depends on, Remy and his family encouraged their community to give the selfless, lifesaving gift of blood donation during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In all, blood drive coordinator Roberta Jones booked 25 appointments for this blood drive, and she was also interviewed by WBOC News.
“Remy experienced nearly a year of remission before relapsing with the same cancer. At that point, we made the decision to pursue the bone marrow transplant process,” said Remy’s mother, Jen Welch. “Our entire family was tested, and as fate would have it, Remy’s then 3-year-old sister, Evangeline (Remy’s sister), was found to be a perfect 100% match. The journey was arduous. Remy endured intensive chemotherapy along with full-body radiation—treatments that placed tremendous strain on his little body. He required multiple blood transfusions just to sustain him long enough to be ready for a new immune system.
Meanwhile, Evangeline spent two days in the hospital, bravely connected to surgically implanted apheresis catheters to donate her bone marrow. Because of her gift, Remy was given a second chance at life.
Today, I can proudly say that both of my children are true superheroes. We just recently celebrated Remy’s “rebirth”—the special day many bone marrow recipients recognize as the beginning of their new life.. We could not be more grateful for the donors who make stories like ours possible. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. You are real-life superheroes, too.”
“We celebrate because Remy is a cancer survivor, and this event takes place in September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month,” said Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro. “Dozens of our dedicated staff have participated in the annual Remy’s Heroes Blood Drive, coordinated with Blood Bank of Delmarva, and we have proudly hosted in our meeting room at our Dover office. Giving blood is a small act with a big impact – sign-up to donate today.”
Navarro was the first to donate on Thursday morning.
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit delmarvablood.org or call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8.
Let’s try to move away from mentioning specific BBD staff unless they’re somehow integral to the story
