While Landrum native Janice Pate McEntire wages a battle with cancer, her family has decided to work toward giving something back.

The family is hosting a blood drive in honor of McEntire from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on July 31 at Fred’s and Burkes Outlet, 215 W. Rutherford St. in Landrum.

It dawned on me that theres the possibility that we could help by having a blood drive for her, said sister-in-law Teresa Pate. This isnt going to benefit her financially or anything like that, but I think its a way to kind of give back to other people the strangers that have given here or there to help her.

Its a way to make a positive out of a negative.

Pate said she is hoping to have 75 or more people sign up for the blood drive and is currently about halfway to that number.

McEntire, 65, has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of lymphoma that attacks different areas of the body and primarily strikes those over the age of 50. It is treatable for the more than 20,000 cases expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, but not curable.

So far, McEntire has undergone a series of blood transfusions, a stem-cell transplant as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

She has been to the gates of hell and now shes turning around, said Pate.

Pate said she is hoping and praying to get the numbers of blood donors necessary to make the blood drive a reality.

The main thing is to branch out and let it be known that this is going on, said Pate. I hope it will be a thing where the community comes together. I still believe there are good people out there who want to help.

For more information, call Pate at (864) 457-4592.