Naperville mom behind #apintforkim blood drive dies in hospice
Kim Sandford didn't want a wake, so instead, she'll get a blood drive in her name.
The event, called A Pint for Kim, is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Iron Gate Motor Condos in Naperville, and it was in the works as Sandford's condition worsened from a cancer that doctors no longer could treat.
Planned by Sandford's sisters, Kristyn Jo Benedyk and Kathleen Fuglsang, the blood drive is the beginning of an effort to collect 100,000 pints of donated blood by the end of the year.
The drive is named in honor of Sandford, a Naperville woman whom relatives say fought various forms of cancer on and off for eight years - always with love, always with care for others - before her death Tuesday at a hospice facility. She was 49.
During her cancer treatment, Sandford often received blood and platelet transfusions, which her relatives say helped her fight the disease and extend her life. The process taught her family how common it is for cancer patients to depend on donated blood and how vital it is for healthy people to give.
Supporters already have begun donating blood in Sandford's name, using the hashtag #apintforkim on social media to record their efforts. Nearly 300 more people are expected to donate on Sunday during the drive, for which the blood bank Versiti has expanded available slots. A link to donor registration is available at facebook.com/apintforKim/.
Sandford leaves behind her husband of 23 years, Rob Sandford, and their two sons, Ricky, 13, and JD, 11.
Benedyk said Sandford kept her cancer battle relatively private, so many casual friends did not know of her condition. Those acquaintances and others who want to pay respects can come to the blood drive at 2228 W. Ferry Road in Naperville instead of a traditional visitation.
"I think this is going to wind up being one more or less, but in a celebratory way," Benedyk said. "We certainly didn't think it would be that when we planned it, but it is a fitting way to celebrate her life."
Instead of focusing on money by starting a fundraiser or donating to cancer research, the goal of A Pint for Kim is to provide the gift of time to patients battling cancer like Sandford did.
"Even in death," Benedyk said, "she wants the attention off her and onto giving back."