Acknowledging your birthday each year is a special occasion, but having the opportunity to celebrate means even more when you’re a cancer survivor.

Beth Ades, of Webster City, knows all too well how the uncertainty of tomorrow feels due to a life-threatening health condition. In 2021, Beth was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a serious blood disorder. Thanks to a stem cell transplant and blood transfusions, she is alive today and doing well.

“No medicine could cure me; donors did,” Ades said. “I still get to be a mom and a wife because amazing people took time out of their crazy busy lives to donate. I am thriving in life, all thanks to my donors!”

This year, at Beth’s 3rd ReBirthday Bash Blood Drive, some special guests are going to be in attendance. These individuals are generous, volunteer blood donors who gave the gift of life one day, never expecting to meet one of the people whose life they saved. This full circle moment will serve as a reminder of how one simple gift can allow families to be kept whole, allowing hope to be restored for brighter tomorrows and more birthdays.

You can make a difference in someone’s life by donating blood at Beth’s 3rd ReBirthday Bash on Friday, February 14, from 12:30 to 6 p.m. at P & P Electric, 120 E. Second Street, Webster City).

All registered donors will receive a special shirt in honor of the celebration, while sizes/supplies last, and be entered to win a generator. To schedule an appointment, call 800-287-4903 or visit LifeServe Blood Center/Donor Portal.

LifeServe Blood Center is a nonprofit, community-based blood center that has served the needs of local hospitals and patients in our regions since 1947. As one of the 15 largest blood centers in the country, LifeServe provides blood products to 175 hospitals primarily in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Illinois.

For more information about blood donation or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 800.287.4903 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org.