13-year-old Avery finds himself spending more time with doctors and nurses than his friends and classmates; That's because last February, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Since his cancer diagnosis, Avery has received at least 36 blood and platelet transfusions – eight of them due to a COVID-19 infection. “Treatment doesn’t stop when you get sick,” said his mother, Jamie. “Avery’s platelets were pretty much at zero and his blood levels were critical several times that week. The day he was admitted, he had both blood and platelet [transfusions]. The second day he had just blood. The third day just platelets. And then blood and platelets the next day. Every day, it was something just to keep him going.” For patients like Avery who are undergoing cancer treatment, blood and platelet transfusions are vital to help keep them strong. “I can definitely tell the difference when I have a transfusion,” Avery said. It usually takes about a day to kick in. When I don’t have ...