Bucks County dad organizes Valentine's Day blood drive to honor late wife

JAMISON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Celebrate life and make a difference - that's the message from a local husband and father who organized a Valentine's Day blood drive in honor of his wife.

He saw first-hand the impact blood donors have. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. It can also give families more time together.

Michael Greenberg still remembers the exact day he asked his future wife Alison out on their first date. They were teenagers.

The couple would go on to have two daughters, Alexis and Olivia, adopt plenty of puppies and take numerous family trips to Disney.

"As long as we had a trip to Disney every year, every other year - she was happy," he recalled.

But sadly, their last trip was cancelled. At age 38, Alison started feeling run down and blood tests revealed she had Leukemia.

The next year and a half she would be in and out of the hospital for treatment - chemotherapy and then a bone marrow transplant. But the cancer kept coming back.

Alison died this past September, just 17 days before her 40th birthday.

"There's so many things I miss about her, but I miss her voice. I miss the person she was and how she treated everyone," said Michael.

Michael says no matter how painful the procedure, Alison always thanked her nurses.

Now he's thanking the people who gave Alison more time with her family - blood donors. Because with almost every treatment, she needed a blood transfusion.

He had donated blood in the past, but didn't think much about it until it was his family on the other side...

"If it wasn't for the people who donated blood, that wouldn't be possible," said Michael.

To help give back and to honor his wife, Michael organized a blood drive for Alison's Avengers on Valentine's Day at Olivia's school, Warwick Elementary - located at 1340 Almshouse Road in Jamison, Pennsylvania.

Walk-ins are welcome and the event takes place from 1pm to 6pm.

Michael says even if you can't make this event, to please donate another time if you can.

You never know when someone you love will be on the receiving end.