Teenager organizes blood drive to help sister diagnosed with leukemia

Over the last month, Eden Jackson has realized the importance of blood donation, and she's doing her part to spread the word.

In May, Jackson's 6-year-old sister, Violet, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. As part of her treatment at Omaha's Children's Hospital, Violet has to receive two blood transfusions, and mom Wendy Jackson told CBS News she was so "thankful" that blood was available for Violet that she "wanted to pay that gift forward, so I scheduled my blood donation."

Eden, 16, wanted to get even more people involved while also educating them on how blood donations can save lives. Last week, she organized a community blood drive with the American Red Cross, and all of the slots were quickly filled. Across the U.S., blood supplies are critically low, with donations down because of the pandemic, making Eden's event even more important. "It was great to see it all fill up so fast and know that we brought awareness to the need for blood and that it can help people," she said.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.