Staff Writer

The Tech family has come together for yet another good cause - to help save the life of a 3-year-old girl named Ainsley Daussat. Amy Early, a sophomore business management major, said Ainsley, a family friend, is suffering from pineoblastona, a brain tumor that affects the brain and the spinal cord. Amy Early said Ainsley will undergo several surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and blood transfusions. “We are unsure of what is going to happen to Ainsley,” Amy Early said. “If she can get blood donated to her in time, she’ll be okay. Things won’t work out if she doesn’t get the blood in time. That is why we are putting so much emphasis on this blood drive.” Amy Early said the Daussats, who are family friends of the Earlys, are looking to others in an effort to save their daughter’s life. “Every unit helps save this little girl’s life,” Amy Early said. “She needs 130 to 150 units of blood. Each unit of blood costs several hundred dollars. Her parents will receive the units of donated blood for free or at a huge discount.” Amy Early said the Daussats are both teachers in New Orleans, therefore the cost of blood is financially straining. Brian Early, a senior environmental science major, said he and his sister spoke to several Tech organizations about Ainsley. “A lot of the organizations were receptive,” Brian Early said. “I feel like a lot of people were made aware because it put it in perspective for people. “[Knowing that we] are 20-year-old adults and she is a 3-year-old girl with needles in her arm for the next couple of months puts donating blood into perspective,” Brian Early said. Brian Early said the blood drive is not over and students are encouraged to continue to help out. Students can visit the LifeShare Blood Center, located at 1404 S. Vienna St., and request to donate blood in the name of Ainsley Daussat, who is residing at the Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. Lee Cline, a sophomore sociology major, is one of the students who is interested in helping Ainsley. “Donating blood is important because it’s saving a little 3-year-old’s life,” Cline said. “If we can do something about it, we should.” Brian Early said he agrees with Cline about the significance of donating blood. “You never know when you are going to need help.”