Alan of Polk City, Florida
I was rushed by ambulance to the ER on February 25, 2022 because of a loss of blood caused by a bleeding ulcer. I was admitted to the Lakeland Florida Regional Hospital ER and received 4 units of blood. It is now 2 weeks later, and I am well on the road to recovery. I owe the blood donor many, many thank yous for his or her unselfish act.
Adrianna C. of Palm Bay, FL
My name is Adrianna, I am 19 years old. At the age of 13 my first period led me to the hospital due to the amount of blood I lost. After 4 blood transfusions my life was saved after having the hemoglobin of 3. Years later at the age of 17 I had my first son and ended up with a C section after having complications during labor. Due to the amount of blood I lost it resulted in having 2 more blood transfusions to save my life. Just a year or so after that I had my daughter preterm in September of 2023.
I had an emergency C section due to blood loss during my pregnancy from placenta previa. After my C section my hemoglobin dropped from the amount of blood I had lost and resulted in my body needing 3 blood transfusions. I thank God each day for the people who are willing to donate to save people like myself. Without the donation of blood from others I would not be here today. Thank you to everyone who has donated. I hope one day I can have the chance to donate back and help others just how I was helped in a time of need.
Guy of Bowdin, Maine
In 1989, my wife entered the operating room for an emergency C-section for our second son. There were complications with the surgery, and my wife spent the next 6 hours on the table fighting for her life. Due to these complications, they could not stabilize her blood pressure, and she went through 28 pints of blood. They finally had to do an emergency hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. I was and have been thankful since for the 28 people who had donated previously to save my wife’s life so she has been able to enjoy our sons for the past 32 years. I try to donate blood 4 times per year, and it took me over 7 years to replace the blood my wife went through in 6 hours.
Hiba of Tampa, FL
It was my first pregnancy, and finally, it was time to rush to the hospital to meet my baby. I had mentally prepared for labor, and 18 hours later, I delivered naturally and looked into my daughter’s eyes with a love I never knew before.
What I hadn’t prepared for was a complication that led to post-partum hemorrhaging. I lost a lot of blood and coded. As I waned in and out of consciousness, I could hear the doctor yelling at me, “Don’t you close your eyes!”
I thought of my daughter. My family. And then I didn’t think of anything at all. I just trusted God and the medical team that was rushing around the room.
I received three pints of blood that saved my life. Three pints from three strangers. I’ll never know who they are, and they’ll never know who they helped. And the beautiful thing is it doesn’t matter, because we all bleed red. There’s an immense sense of selflessness in giving from yourself to help others — unconditionally.
Now, I’m a regular blood donor. I hope I can contribute to other people’s healing, so that they, too, can have more time on this Earth to love and be loved.
Linda S. of Orlando, FL
When Linda visits her local OneBlood Donor Center, she wears a smile on her face, and the proof of her lifesaving habit on her quilt. “It really brings me back to the people it’s been helping,” Linda said of her custom OneBlood T-shirt quilt. “Those squares all represent times that I gave blood, and how that helped people.”
For Linda, giving blood is a lifelong habit from the heart. She began donating in the 70s, and quickly learned that hospitals need her O negative blood for trauma patients and even newborns.
Donors like Linda make sure O negative blood is available when it is needed most. That’s why she regularly makes her way to her local OneBlood Donor Center. “They’re a great group of people, and they’re quick,” Linda said of the staff. “I’m fixed income, so I don’t have a lot of money to give to places. This is something I can just give freely. That’s really why I continue. Plus, it’s fun. I enjoy coming here.”
Linda is a dedicated blood donor who is wrapped up in saving lives, and her T-shirt quilt will help preserve her legacy. “I love knowing that there’s people out there who my blood helped,” she said. “My prayers are that the message to donate is clear and motivating.”
*Now, I’m a regular blood donor. I hope I can contribute to other people’s healing, so that they, too, can have more time on this Earth to love and be loved.
