Blood drive held for man battling cirrhosis

More than 100 people turned out Saturday to help a man whose family and friends said is an inspirational fighter.

Caden LeMieux has battled cirrhosis of the liver, ulcerative colitis and Type 1 diabetes since 2012, and he is currently in liver failure.

He is working with the transplant team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson to find a donor.

In the meantime, on Saturday, CrisMont Creations of Philadelphia held a blood drive for LeMieux, and more than 100 people turned out. 

Organizers said 71 people were able to donate blood at the event Saturday.

"We had to turn some down," said Cristi Floyd Montogomery, owner of CrisMont Creations and LeMieux's mother. "We had to turn 30 people away."

For every unit of blood donated from the blood drive, LeMieux earns credits in his name so he can get free blood when needed. Since 71 people donated Saturday, LeMieux will get 71 units of blood at no charge. 

LeMieux attended Saturday’s blood drive hugging and thanking everyone who donated. 

Montgomery and LeMieux said they were in awe of the people who came and donated, some who waited in the rain for their turn to donate blood. 

"We had people come from Hattiesburg, Brookhaven, Destin, Little Rock, Arkansas, Greenwood, Mississippi and North Carolina," Montgomery said. 

Everyone who donated got a free lunch and coffee from CrisMont Creations plus a free T-shirt from Mississippi Blood Services of Jackson. 

When LeMieux was diagnosed in 2012, his liver was at the beginning of the last stage. His Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score got better, so doctors put him on the "inactive list." Within the last 6 months, however, he has gone into liver failure. 

LeMieux and his mother travel to UMMC for testing each week, which helps show where LeMieux is on the waiting list for the liver transplant. 

Anyone who could not make it to CrisMont Creations on Saturday can still help LeMieux by using his Mississippi Blood Services Code DD53 when donating. Mississippi Blood Services can be reached at 601-981-3232.