Grace Bushey
Published: April 14, 2014
Caregivers from the Sparrow Laboratories have worked with the American Red Cross to dedicate a blood drive this week to the 13-year-old daughter of a Sparrow colleague who is undergoing treatment for leukemia.
Grace Bushey of Mason was diagnosed with leukemia on Valentine's Day this year. Her mother, Stacey, is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist in the Laboratories, which analyzed Grace's test results showing her with the disease. The Sparrow Laboratories is among the two-dozen largest hospital labs by volume in the country.
Stacey Bushey's co-workers came up with the idea of honoring Grace with the blood drive being held from 10:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday, April 18, at the third floor atrium of the Sparrow Professional Building, 1200 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing. Call 1.800.733.2767 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, too.
"Grace's case hit home with people here," said Stacey Bushey. "We are the first people to see those slides of test results. Having worked here for almost 19 years, they remember me being pregnant with Grace. It was very personal to them.
"One of my colleagues suggested we have a blood drive. It's exactly the way everybody is here in the Sparrow Laboratories."
The blood drive comes days before the start of National Medical Laboratory Week, recognizing Medical Laboratory professionals throughout the country.