Donor Stories
Plasma Recipient
Meet Annette
About two years ago, Annette & her mother were placed in the hospital with COVID. They both received convalescent plasma, but after the long fight, her mother passed away. Annette ended up spending 49 days in the hospital and was later transferred to a rehab center to help her learn how to breathe and walk again. Annette needed oxygen for quite a while after being back home, but can now breathe without assistance.
Recently, Annette was able to give back and donate her lifesaving blood. Annette’s story is an amazing COVID comeback story as she has been through so much, but was still eager to give back and donate blood. We encourage you to give the gift of life like Annette. You never know who just might need it.
Platelet Recipient
Platelets are the portion of the blood that forms clots and helps stop or prevent bleeding. This yellow-like substance is essential for organ transplant surgeries, individuals fighting cancer, chronic diseases or individuals experiencing traumatic injuries. Unfortunately, platelets only have a 7-day shelf life so platelet donors are needed every single day. While the shelf life is very short for a platelet donation, the donation process can range from 45 minutes to 2 hours. This procedure is currently only done at the Blood Center’s main collection facility at 209 North Padre Island Drive.
Meet Bodhi
Meet Bodhi! Bodhi is an adventurous 2-year-old boy that loves all things Mickey Mouse & Disney World. Bodhi was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 5, 2021 & spent many nights at Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. This sweet boy received over 20 blood transfusion during his fight against cancer & battle with chemo. Ultimately, the blood he received helped him beat cancer!! Now, Bodhi enjoys visiting Disneyland, spending time outside with his older brother and sister & lives a cancer free life, thanks to the blood donations of many in our community.
Red Blood Cell Recipient
This refers to the traditional donation process where half a liter of blood is collected from an individual donor into a sterile bag. The blood is later separated into red blood cells, platelets and plasma. These components are given to patients suffering from leukemia or hemophilia, accident victims, patients undergoing chemotherapy or patients who have lost blood during surgery. The need for blood always exceeds the available supply; therefore, there is a constant need for whole blood donors.
Meet Tiffany
Meet Tiffany. Back in 2021, Tiffany was diagnosed with Placenta Accreta (Morbidly Adherent Placenta) during the pregnancy with her second baby. This condition puts the mother and baby at risk for hemorrhage during the entire pregnancy & especially during delivery.
Alongside her husband & son, Maddux, Tiffany defied all odds throughout the pregnancy & delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl on August 13, 2021. However, shortly after the delivery, a Massive Trauma Protocol was called as Tiffany was hemorrhaging. Over the next 23 minutes, Tiffany lost over 3 liters of blood and received 3 blood transfusions. She later learned that she had gone into hemorrhagic shock and her placenta was half the size it should have been and was already dying. Their baby girl was truly a miracle!
Tiffany explained to our team that she wanted to donate on her birthday, “the one that almost never happened.” Tiffany credits her second chance at life to the men and women who selflessly donated blood & wanted to give back on such an important day in her life. We are grateful to be able to share Tiffany's story about the gift of life & we couldn't have been happier to help her donate blood on such a special anniversary. You never know who your blood might be able to save.
