Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.  And each recipient of a blood donation has his or her own story. He or she could be an accident or trauma victim, cancer patient, a mother giving birth, a premature baby, a transplant recipient or surgical candidate….like me.

If you’ve been following my story, you know that for the past several years I have been struggling with anemia. What you may not know is how this condition has affected my life.  When you hear the word anemia, you probably think it just means you’re tired all of the time.  While that is true, there are so many other symptoms of anemia that make it extremely difficult to live a normal life.  I can’t maintain a comfortable body temperature.  Confusion and dizziness are common occurrences.  Even simple tasks like getting dressed in the morning can leave me breathless.  There are days I am afraid to stand up for fear I might pass out.  Your heart races and you can’t catch your breath….the list goes on. The condition is putting a strain on my heart and I can no longer tolerate the side effects from iron infusions.

The good news is that my Doctor thinks he has found the underlying issue causing the anemia and it requires surgery.  The bad news is that my blood levels are so low, surgery is risky and a transfusion may be required beforehand just to ensure I can survive the procedure.  So what does this all mean?

The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe shortage of blood products.  So by hosting this virtual blood drive, I am asking all of you to consider making a pledge to donate blood.  Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more.  It’s so easy…make your pledge to donate then visit a local donation center at a time that is most convenient for you.  Most donations take less than one hour.  Just give it some thought…the life you save could be your own, a family member….or me.  Thank you.