BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Senior Taylor Babec (Joliet, Ill.-Plainfield Central), a childhood cancer survivor, is bringing a blood drive to the Illinois Wesleyan University campus through ImpactLife. Babec and the IWU women's volleyball team will host the event from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hansen Student Center Thursday, Sept. 28.

Babec, who is in her last season playing for the Green and White, required 22 blood transfusions in her battle to beat lymphoma. The Babec family has teamed up with ImpactLife to host a blood drive every year since 2008 in order to help the next person in need of a transfusion. After more than a decade hosting blood drives near her hometown of Joliet, Ill., Babec and the IWU volleyball team will host the event on campus for the third straight year.

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Blood Is Medicine
Every day, more than 40 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States and many of these patients will receive blood transfusions as part of their treatment. Cancer patients receive red blood cell and platelet transfusions to help treat symptoms of the disease as well as side effects often caused by chemotherapy. ImpactLife seeks to raise awareness and inspire action with its "Blood Is Medicine" campaign materials, now available to download and share from www.bloodcenter.org/childhoodcancer.

ImpactLife Donor Promotion
Through October 31, all donors will receive a voucher to redeem for an electronic gift card or bonus points to spend in the rewards store by coming to give blood at any ImpactLife donor center or mobile blood drive. Through November 7, a new long-sleeve heather black Halloween-themed t-shirt that reads "Blood Donors Rock" can be redeemed for 500 points. For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org/promotions.

About ImpactLife
ImpactLife is a not-for-profit community organization providing blood services to 124 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as resource sharing partners across the country. Services extend from southcentral Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri and from Danville, Illinois to Chariton, Iowa. (See a map of the ImpactLife service region.) ImpactLife operates 22 Donor Centers and holds approximately 5000 mobile blood drives annually to provide blood components needed for patient transfusions at hospitals throughout our region.