Blood, marrow donor drive to be held in memory of girl

A Nashua couple are hosting a blood drive and marrow donor registration drive in memory of their daughter.

The drive, held by John and Kristine (Normandie) Ullom is in memory of their daughter Alexandra.

The drive will take place at St. Margaret School, 486 Stevens St., Lowell, Mass., on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Alexandra was diagnosed before her first birthday with a rare blood disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome. During her treatment at Tufts Floating Hospital, which included a cord blood transplant, she received countless transfusions thanks to the generosity of blood donors.

Alexandra ultimately lost her battle with the disease last February at 17 months old.

The Ulloms hosted a blood drive in September to celebrate what would have been Alexandra’s second birthday. The drive collected 146 pints, and the Ulloms hope to top that number in the upcoming drive.

To register to donate blood, call 1-800-GIVELIFE or visit www.givelife.org and reference the Alexandra Ullom Drive.

Donors will have the opportunity to register for the Caitlin Raymond International Registry, the oldest coordinating center for bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell and placental cord unit search in the United States.

The process for registering is easy, requiring a simple swab of the mouth.

For more information on the registry, visit www.crir.org.