CHICAGO (WLS) -- The 2026 Great Chicago Blood Drive kicks off in 56 days.

And you can be a hero, by simply rolling up your sleeve.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Donors can only give blood every eight weeks, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

Little girls like Madelyn Marino benefit from blood donations.

She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just 23 months old.

Her mother says her recovery wouldn't have been as successful without blood transfusions.

"She had to have one day one. So like when she was diagnosed, we stayed in the hospital for seven days and started treatment. And they want to make sure treatment is everything is going well, and it's working. So you stay there for a little while and yeah, she had everyone. She h

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