Blood Drive To Help Woman Injured From Plane Crash

LAGRANGEVILLE, NY — The public is being asked to donate blood to help a local resident recover from a horrific accident. In August, a plane crashed into the Bocker family's house in Dutchess County.

Gerard Bocker, 61, was killed and one of his daughters, Hannah Bocker, 21, was critically injured, suffering burns over most of her body.

For the last two months, Hannah Bocker has been receiving treatment at Westchester Medical Center, including having multiple surgeries.

She has used many blood products — including platelets, red blood cells and plasma — and will continue to need more transfusions as she recovers.

She and her family are asking community members to donate blood beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

The blood drive will be held at the Tymor Park Senior Center, 8 Tymor Park Road in Lagrangeville.

Donating will only take about an hour, according to organizers.

Burn victims are only one group in need of donations. A single donation can save multiple lives.

Nearly 2,000 donations are needed each day in New York and New Jersey alone, officials said.

Roughly one in seven hospital admissions requires a blood transfusion, including cancer patients, accident, burn or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia.

Find and “Like” Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages.