By Bethany BROWN

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will hold a blood drive on Dec. 1 at Surface Fitness, 3470 Ocean View Blvd. The blood drive will be in honor of Crescenta Valley resident Kean Ryder and will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kean, a sophomore at CVHS, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia earlier this year and has spent the last seven months in Children’s Hospital undergoing countless treatments and blood transfusions and receiving a bone marrow transplant in September. Aplastic anemia is a rare condition in which the bone marrow stops producing enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets needed for the body to function properly.

Chris Ryder, Kean’s father, said it’s been incredibly difficult to see his son in the hospital, bedridden, in pain and lethargic, when Kean has always been an active kid who had hopes of trying out for the Crescenta Valley High School soccer team following his years playing on club teams. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and Kean’s diagnosis this year, Kean has yet to set foot on the campus.

Chris emphasized the impact the nationwide blood shortage has had on his son’s health and recovery. The shortage is due largely in part to the pandemic and people being worried about donating during the outbreak of the virus. Chris recalled that on several days in July the hospital informed him that they would only be able to provide Kean with about half of the blood he needed to stay strong.

“The staff at Children’s Hospital has been amazing with Kean but, unfortunately, they often have to make difficult decisions and prioritize which child is going to get blood that day,” Chris said. “Kean had to wait for more blood to be donated and become available because they would give it to kids who needed it more than he did at that time. It’s just terrible; there shouldn’t have to be a choice.”

Chris and his wife Kelley, a teacher at Fremont Elementary School, turned to their personal Facebook pages to inform their followers on the blood shortage and sought support and blood donations. Though their requests were met with an overwhelmingly great response Chris noticed a tendency of people who seemingly wanted to donate only if it was for somebody they know. He wanted the public to think of the bigger picture – that many people may require blood at any time and should never have to be in a position where they cannot access the blood they need. They all deserve to be helped.

“There are tons of kids out there who may need blood,” Chris said. “My hope is that people consider that, God forbid, this could be somebody in your family one day – I mean, never in my mind did I think this would happen to my son; we just don’t know what’s out there in the world and we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but we need to be prepared and do our part. Donating blood is 30 minutes of your day that could potentially save somebody’s life.”

Event organizer Karin van Bremen said she immediately felt prompted to find a way to contribute and make a difference in any way she could after seeing Chris’ Facebook post regarding the blood shortage and Kean’s condition.

“When I learned that two children who need blood might not both be able to get the blood that they needed, that the hospital had to make a choice between the two children … I thought how devastating it would be to be told that your child needs it but that they can’t provide it for him now,” van Bremen said.

She contacted the Blood Donation Department at Children’s Hospital and worked with them to arrange an easily accessible mobile blood drive in the community to serve children like Kean who are in need. Van Bremen highlighted the importance of getting the word out and felt it would be impactful to organize a blood drive close to home in the neighborhood where the Ryder family lives.

“I’m hoping that once people know just how severe the shortage of blood actually is that there will be some individuals who are willing to donate on a regular basis every two months,” van Bremen said, adding that she hopes that rather than a single donation, people schedule regular appointments.

Chris also emphasized the need for platelet donations. Platelets, though, cannot be donated at a blood drive and require a longer process of extraction. In Kean’s case, his inability to produce platelets prior to the bone marrow transplant meant it was nearly impossible for his blood to clot if he endured an injury that led to bleeding. Chris said most people, including himself before Kean’s diagnosis, aren’t aware of the need for platelets or realize that this is even something that can be donated. He wants the community to be informed on the massive shortage of both platelets and blood and urges those who can donate to do so.

Chris said that Kean is making “good progress” after the successful transplant. He has a long way to go with recovery but remains in good spirits and good health as he works diligently in physical therapy to relearn how to walk. The Ryder family stresses their gratitude for the support from the hospital and community and hopes for Kean’s return home before Christmas.

To make an appointment for the upcoming blood drive, visit https://www.chladonateblood.org/ or schedule an appointment by phone (323) 361-2441.