Madison Charland, the niece of a Scarborough firefighter, has been cancer free for over a year, but that hasn’t stopped the Scarborough community from donating lifesaving blood in her honor. Contributed / Sherri Charland
After the niece of a Scarborough firefighter was diagnosed with leukemia in 2021 and went through over 10 blood transfusions, the public safety department began hosting blood drives in her name.
Though Madison, 4, has been cancer free for over a year now, her mother said, the Scarborough community continues to turn out and help those in need in her honor. The 10th Madison Charland Blood Drive will be held at the Scarborough Public Safety Office on Tuesday.
Sherri Charland, Madison’s mother, told the Leader she appreciates the Scarborough community’s support of her family in Biddeford and many like them.
“It all started because my brother’s a Scarborough firefighter and it’s been wonderful that everybody has come out in previous blood drives and still continues to,” Charland said. “We want people to get out there and to donate blood and remember that you don’t understand the need for blood until you’re in that hard situation.”
Jeremy Moreau, Scarborough firefighter and Madison’s uncle, said he believes Madison “puts a face” to the need.
“People are still coming out because they know that there are still more kids like her that need it every day. She just puts a face to it,” Moreau told the Leader. “It’s a way to make it more real; this is a real thing, we need to be able to help.”
While the Public Safety Department hosts the drive, Moreau said it feels more like a town-wide effort. For instance, Town Hall and Community Services help publicize the drives, from notifications on their websites and Facebook pages to hanging up signs in front of their offices.
“Even though it’s in the Public Safety building, it’s kind of been the whole town of Scarborough that’s taking it on,” Moreau said.
If they can’t make the July 2 drive or it becomes fully booked, Charland encourages people to donate blood at any local drive they can.
“We’re grateful that people want to come out and, even if they can’t make it to this drive, we appreciate people being able to go to any local drive nearby to donate blood,” she said.
Moreau said donations not only help people in Maine but nationwide.
“My blood and platelets have gone all the way to Indiana and Wisconsin,” he said. “It’s more than just helping people in Maine. It’s helping people all over the country.”
Charland emphasized that it’s important to donate because no one knows when they might be in need of it themselves.
“We never knew that we were going to need blood or that this diagnosis was ever going to come,” she said. “You don’t see it until you get to the hospital and then you need all these blood transfusions. If people didn’t donate, then Madison would never have gotten the lifesaving blood that she needed. We’re very grateful.”
To sign up for the Madison Charland drive on July 2 or find other blood drives near you, go to redcrossblood.org/give and type in your zip code.
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