January is National Blood Donor Month. For this month's Blood Donor Highlight, we have a story highlighting a family who has a special connection to blood donation.
A Thank You to Whole Blood & Platelet Donors
Story as told by Amy Sierack, Ian’s mom
Numbers don't lie – 1, 6, 42, and 40. It could be a locker combination. It could be winning lottery numbers. (I’ll come back to this.)
In the spring of 2015, our son Ian was busy playing defense for the Kenmore West Hockey team.
In the spring of 2016, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. By the fall of 2016, after six months as an inpatient at Roswell Park, Ian completed chemotherapy and radiation and received a bone marrow transplant.
One person, six months, 42 bags of platelets, and 40 bags of whole blood. Without blood donors, our son would not have lived to receive the bone marrow transplant that saved his life.
Why do I ask you to consider donating blood? Because our son is here due to 82 blood donations from donors here in Western New York, and because the blood you donate here to ConnectLife stays here for people in Western New York, people like our son.
I donate platelets at the Roswell Park Donor Center. Ian also received directed donations- one of his high school teachers donated platelets to Ian several times and so did one of the women who work at Ken West in the school office. ConnectLife reaches a much larger pool of potential donors, which is why I am proud to volunteer with ConnectLife as well as an administrative/clerical support person.
I understand that it can be scary donating blood. When donating platelets, I keep my eyes closed as much of the time as I can. And I eat a snickers bar right after I get started. There are nurses and skilled clinicians all around, watching you to make sure you feel okay, and that your donation process goes smoothly.
Has Amy and Ian's story inspired you to share your own? Submit your story to be our next hero highlighted as our Blood Donor Highlight here: https://www.connectlife.org/blood-donor-highlight
#plateletdonor #plateletdonation #blooddonorhighlight #weconnectlife #savelives #nationalblooddonormonth #buffalove
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