By Bethany Bray Patterson, American Red Cross Regional Communications Manager

In November 2023, Tracy Fox stepped in to a crosswalk and her life changed forever.

Fox, a government relations manager for the American Red Cross, was leaving an event at Red Cross headquarters in Washington D.C. that day when she was hit by a bus from behind. The bus wheels caught her left leg and when she awoke in the hospital, she learned that the damage was so extensive that amputation was necessary.

However, in the days following the accident, Fox had developed an infection and her hemoglobin levels had dropped so low that surgery wasn’t possible. Her doctors ordered a blood transfusion – something that Fox, as a longtime Red Cross employee, knows can only come from a generous, volunteer donor.

“The minute my doctor said ‘we’re going to do a transfusion’ I asked if it would come from the Red Cross,” says Fox, who lives in Fort Myers, Florida. “As soon as they hung that unit [of blood], sure enough, there on the label it said it was ‘generously donated to the American Red Cross’ … That one unit of blood saved my life because I was able to have surgery, eliminate the infection and go on to recover.”

Someone in the United States – like Tracy – needs a blood transfusion every two seconds, and volunteer blood donors are the only source of blood and platelets for those in need. The American Red Cross provides roughly 40% of the nation’s blood supply and needs to collect about 12,500 blood donations every day to meet the needs of patients at about 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.

Fox received her blood transfusion on Dec. 25 – the best Christmas present she’s ever gotten, she says with a smile – and was able to have the amputation surgery the following day. She spent the month of January in the hospital in Washington D.C., but was eventually able to return home, continue rehabilitation and receive a prosthetic leg. Her recovery came full circle this month, as she was able to travel back to Washington D.C. and meet with her surgery team at Georgetown University Hospital to say thank you.

Fox says she’s living proof of something that is said often at the Red Cross: Every blood donation makes a difference.

“I received one unit of blood, but that ‘just one unit’ made the difference between life and death for me. I had a successful outcome because someone thought to go and donate that one unit of blood,” she says. “It really can be one unit [of blood] that changes a person’s life in an instant. I’m especially grateful to that person who donated and changed my life – and all who donate.”

The accident, surgery and recovery experience have all been life changing, she says, but also an opportunity to shift her perspective to focus on positivity and gratitude.

“It’s been a tough journey but I’ve had a lot of support from a lot of people, including my Red Cross family. I’ve met the most tremendous people along the way,” she says. “I am living that tried-and-true saying, ‘you never know what tomorrow brings.’”

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The need for blood is constant. Blood donations to the Red Cross help ensure new moms, premature babies, cancer patients and accident victims have access to safe, lifesaving blood.

Every day, volunteer blood and platelet donors are needed across the country to help save lives. When you roll up a sleeve to donate, you help change a life.

Schedule an appointment to donate today by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.