September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and the family of a local survivor is hoping Windsorites will give the gift of life.
For eighty-year-old Luca Aversa it has been a life-long battle. At four-months-old, Luca’s family learned he had cancer. Since, he has undergone chemotherapy, surgeries and has required more than 40 blood transfusions.
"Having a child with cancer is incredibly life-altering,” says Luca’s mother Kate Aversa. “It was probably the lowest moment of our life when he got diagnosed."
Luca and his mother were on hand Thursday afternoon at Windsor’s Red Cross promoting the need for blood donations. They were joined by officials with Canadian Blood Services, as they handed out ribbons as part of the Gold Ribbon Campaign.
“Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood or blood products," says Joan Hannah, a representative of Canadian Blood Services.
As for Luca, he's been told he will live with cancer for the rest of his life. He will never be in remission and he will always require more of someone else's blood to keep him alive.
"When you do need it, thank goodness it's there,” says Aversa. “I can't imagine being in a world without my little Luca."
In Windsor-Essex, there are still 530 open appointments for the month of September. To learn more on how you can donate, you can visit the Canadian Blood Services website.
