LINDON, Utah — On the soccer field, 7-year-old Quinn Danielsen thrives. From running to scoring a goal, he said he could do this all day, every day.
But just a couple of years ago, there was a time when he couldn’t. In fact, his mother said there was a time when he wanted to be carried everywhere.
“When Quinn was five years old, he wanted to be carried everywhere, and he didn’t want to walk, and he started to limp,” Karen Danielsen said. “He was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, and it had metastasized.”
So then began a new journey for Quinn. A journey that would take him to doctors' appointments and hospital stays as he fought against cancer for over a year. She said the tumor rested on his spine, and it was as big as an adult’s fist.
“You go through the grief cycle for sure. I mean, I basically cried all night,” Karen said.
Quinn said he’s tough and was able to get through it, especially with his family around him. “The scariest part was when they had to access my port, and they gave me an NG tube in my nose,” Quinn said. “When I had cancer for a long time, they put one in my stomach. I call it my two belly buttons.”
Now, Quinn successfully kicked cancer and just celebrated a year of being cancer-free.
One of the things that saved his life was all of the blood and platelets that he received from donations. He needed 41 transfusions during his treatment. Karen said they were so grateful for the donations they received.
So now she said, they’re hosting their own blood drive with the Red Cross on Saturday, May 9th, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Lindon City Community Center.
It’s a way to give back and create more support for kids fighting cancer. “We hope we can get a lot of people to come, and just support the childhood cancer community,” she said.
According to the Red Cross, every 2 seconds someone needs blood or platelets in the United States. Blood and platelet donations each have shelf lives. Red blood cells must be used within 42 days. And platelets must be used within just five days.
Earlier this year, the Red Cross hit a critical low in the US, and there was a need for more blood donations.
So, because of donations, Quinn is able to continue kicking his soccer ball and enjoying time with his family. “We have a lot of friends that are up there fighting right now, and we'd like to make sure that they have the supplies that they need,” Karen said.
If you’d like to sign up for Quinn’s blood drive, that can be found here.
