In 2017, Robin Reed-Pearson, director of medical staff services at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. She received a bone marrow transplant from a stranger and that transplant was a cure for her. In 2017 Nate Hansen, the operating room manager at HCA Florida Blake Hospital donated bone marrow to a stranger because in nursing school he saw a video that inspired him. He was always a blood donor and decided to donate bone marrow too. Each day caregivers at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital and HCA Florida Blake Hospital show up to care for our communities. Now caregivers will show up by participating in the Be The Match® registry drive, blood donation drive and organ donation education event to help save lives, like Robin’s and help the community like Nate. Caregivers at both hospitals will be signing up for the Be The Match® national stem cell registry, donating blood and learning more about organ donation at the We Show Up for Our Communities service events. The public is invited to participate as well. The events will take place at Sarasota Doctors Hospital -Wednesday, September 21, 8 a.m.- 2 p.m.and at Blake Hospital -Thursday, September 22, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, need a blood stem cell transplant to survive. Most patients don’t have a fully matched donor in their family, that’s when they turn to the Be The Match® registry. By joining the registry your genetic type will be included in the search process for every patient in need of a genetically matched donor. Additionally, SunCoast blood centers need at least 150 units of blood donated each day to meet demand from local hospitals. More than 4,800 Florida residents are awaiting a life-saving organ transplant.

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