Give a pint. Save a life.

Les Dickens needs our help:

Donors can give blood Saturday in Bush to help a veteran firefighter who is suffering from a rare blood disease.

The blood drive to help Les Dickens, assistant chief of the Bush Volunteer Fire Department, will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bush Fire Station No. 3, 80581 Louisiana 21, about two miles south of House of Seafood.

Dickens, president of the volunteer fire board, is suffering from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and a blood plasma exchange is the only treatment. The treatment is about 90 percent effective.

Fire Chief Randy Kimble said blood types A and B are acceptable for the combination AB plasma exchange.

Dickens has been a member of the Fire Department for more than 20 years.

"He has given himself freely to this community over the years and now he needs our help," Kimble said.

Those unable to get to the blood drive can donate blood in Dickens' name at the Hammond Blood Center. [from the Times picayune]

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura at Netdoctor UK
Blood donation guidelines - Red Cross