The young woman in the center of this photo is alive today thanks to twenty-four transfusions of whole blood, platelets, and red cells she received while fighting leukemia. People who receive transfusions rarely, if ever, know from whom they come nor do the donors ever learn who receives their donations.
On May 3rd, however, at a New York Blood Center dinner, she got to meet six of the two dozen strangers whose donations saved her life. It was an amazing and emotional event for all.
Only 2% of the population of this country donates blood and blood products. The need is constant and there is no substitute. Please consider becoming a donor; you may never know who you will save, but someone out there will benefit.
By the way, the six donors in this picture, who were also strangers to one another, have together made more than 1,100 lifetime donations! (Four hundred and fifteen of them were by that familiar-looking guy third from
the left.)
