If it weren't for all the wonderful people out there who donate blood, I wouldn't be alive today to express my gratitude for how their selfless gestures saved my life on two different occasions. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was diagnosed with Class I HELLP syndrome. It caused severe hemolytic anemia, and my platelet count was dangerously low. I was given a transfusion, and my daughter was safely delivered in an emergency C-section. That transfusion alone saved both my life and my daughter’s. The second time I had to get a transfusion was several years later due to a large loss of blood during surgery.
I am forever grateful for the donors who helped save my life. In turn, I became a blood donor myself, and I advocate for blood donation as much as I can. If you are healthy and able, please consider donating. You are literally giving life to others.