DeWayne Yates battles leukemia

Trenton native DeWayne Yates needs your prayers.
The CEO of TMC, Inc., (Trenton Medical Center) was diagnosed with leukemia last week and is now being hospitalized at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Room 505, where he is undergoing chemotherapy.
On Monday morning, Eileen Senecal of TMC, Inc. sent out a mass e-mail to the community asking for blood donations for Yates.
“The need for blood, or its components is evident,” Senecal stated.
Staff at TMC, Inc. arranged for the LifeSouth bloodmobile to come to Trenton Medical Center on Tuesday morning and the Bell Family Health Center on Tuesday afternoon for those willing to donate blood to Yates.
Shortly after the bloodmobile pulled into the Trenton Medical Center parking lot, the line of friends, co-workers and other loved ones began to form. At the end of the morning blood drive, Wendy Hill of LifeSouth reported that 25 people had donated red blood cells, and six individuals had signed up for the national marrow donor program registry.
While Hill could not confirm that all of the Tuesday morning donations were made for Yates, she did say that due to the overwhelming response by blood donors on Yates’ behalf, the LifeSouth blood mobile will return to the Trenton Medical Center next Thursday, Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For anyone who missed the bloodmobile on Tuesday and still wishes to donate, the bloodmobile will be at TMC Pediatrics in Chiefland on Thursday, Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is asked to donate to the TMC, INC. account set up for Yates. That account number is 211-5930.
Hill suggested that people might also donate blood at LifeSouth’s Chiefland Center, which is at 2202 N. Young Blvd. Suite 607 (the Winn-Dixie shopping center). Hours of operation are Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on donating blood or registering for the Bone Marrow Registry, visit www.lifesouth.org.
DeWayne and his family are well thought of in the community.
DeWayne and his wife, Marsha have four children, Parker, Clara, Owen and Emma, all of whom attend Trenton schools.
The family, who lives between Trenton and Bell, attend church at First Baptist Church of Trenton.
DeWayne is the son of Paul Yates and Patricia Yates.
Prayers are asked for the family during this difficult time.