Blood drive for toddler with rare cancer in Vicksburg tomorrow

On Saturday, Nov. 23, Bexlee-Kaye Nash’s family was shaken to the core when doctors diagnosed the toddler with neuroblastoma.

This rare disease is the most common cancer in infants, but it usually isn’t found until later. Most cases are diagnosed before age 5, and about 700 cases are diagnosed annually. Neuroblastoma starts in certain very early forms of nerve cells, most often found in an embryo or fetus, according to the American Cancer Society.

“She’s only 2 1/2 years old but she’s so full of life, she’s so smart, and she’s so loving,” her mother, Brittany Nash, wrote on Facebook. “She has no idea what’s going on or that she’s sick, she just knows she doesn’t feel good from time to time and she just wants to go home … we have a long journey ahead of us but Bexlee is stronger than we ever imagined and she’s doing incredible. We are so proud of her.”

As Bexlee-Kaye undergoes chemotherapy to fight the disease, she needs blood transfusions to replace blood cells destroyed by the treatment.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 21, friends and family have organized a blood drive at the Vicksburg Church of Christ (3333 N. Frontage Road) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All blood types are needed, if not for Bexlee-Kaye, for other Mississippi children in need.

Donors will be entered into a prize drawing, and volunteers are needed to provide child care and refreshments.

To find out how to donate or volunteer, go to the Prayers for Bexlee-Kaye Facebook page.

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