Santa Clarita resident Barb Smith is hosting a second annual blood drive Saturday to benefit her children and others like them Jan. 10.

Smith, a longtime resident of Santa Clarita, is organizing the blood drive to support families like her own, which has two children who regularly need blood infusions, she said.

Her daughter Violet is 6 years old, and her son Ian is 4 years old, and both suffer from immune deficiency disease.

“Both have been diagnosed with a Primary Immunodeficiency disease, which requires intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions into the blood every three weeks down at Children’s Hospital LA,” said Smith. “The blood transfusion takes 5-7 hours each time.”

Smith decided she didn’t want to feel so helpless anymore, she said.

“I was just frustrated for a lot of years, they have both been sick since they were a month old,” said Smith. “I wanted to do something to give back, be productive and turn it into a positive.”

This is the second blood drive Smith has set up and she plans to continue doing it each year.

“As a mom, I feel so helpless, you always want to fix it  or make it better for your kids. I’m their advocate but I simply have no control but I do know that God is and that he is right along side us in this journey,” said Smith. “He has given my husband and I the grace to get through this and he continues to bless our family.”

She decided she wanted to bring awareness to the need for blood and to immunodeficiency disease. The blood will indirectly help her children and directly help others.

“My children’s bodies don’t produce antibodies to fight bacterial infections,” Smith said. “The blood plasma supplements those antibodies.”

Each person’s blood donation counts not only for Violet and Ian, but for others who suffer with this disease, said Smith.

The blood drive will be at Grace Baptist Church located at 22833 Copper Hill Drive, Saugus, 91350,  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you would like to donate blood, you can sign up here and use sponsor code: gracebaptist or you can call Barb Smith (661) 373-8458.