This girl may look familiar, that’s because she is.
Meet Samantha Volpe, donor, daughter of blood recipient Karen Volpe and friend to us.
“I discovered just how precious the gift donors give with their blood when one day, there was none.”
Find out just why she Raises Her Sleeve.
Guest blogger-Samantha Volpe
I am currently a student, proud to attend Indiana University. Between winning basketball games, tailgating, and maybe a little bit of studying, we Hoosiers like to make time for what is perhaps the most personable generosity you can do for someone.
The gift of having the ability to donate blood and save a person’s life is such a beautiful thing, and Indiana Blood Center maximizes the potential of that gift. The affects tend to be both minor and astronomical, both of which I have experienced in my personal life.
On a family vacation in Virginia, my mother, a very sick Leukemia patient at the time, needed an infusion of a blood product called platelets immediately after an emergency visit to the hospital.
Having previously assumed that there would be platelets readily available, as it was at home with Indiana Blood Center, we were shocked to hear that was not the case. According to her doctors, there was a possibility that a shipment would come in, and if it did, she was sixth in line to receive a donation.
Upon realizing that it was vital for her survival that she immediately receives a transfusion, we packed up and drove fourteen hours straight back home to the Indianapolis Medical Center downtown and Indiana Blood Center supplied just what we needed.
Before this situation had occurred, we had taken the gift of giving blood for granted. Now, my entire family has learned just how crucial it is that there is a reliable blood supply.
Once I began attending school in the beautiful Bloomington, Indiana, I organized and arranged blood drives with Indiana Blood Center on campus for my fellow students to donate. I’ve found that giving blood is such a beautiful way to give of yourself (literally).
And if you were wondering, my amazing mother successfully, without-a-doubt, kicked Leukemia’s a-s-s.
For such a small commitment, the possible outcome is monumental. Give blood to give hope. Raise your sleeve.
We thank Samantha for sharing her story of what motivates her to Raise Her Sleeve. Follow Samantha’s lead; don’t take the gift of giving blood for granted. Make your appointment today at www.donorpoint.org.
