By Suzanne Lawler

“I tell people, pay attention to your body, your body tells you when something is wrong,” Sandy Lee said thoughtfully.

In hindsight, it was easy for Lee to ignore those signs her body was telling her. Back in 2014, she needed her first blood transfusion. “I had a 10-pound tumor they had to remove,” she recalled. She recovered and went on with life as a hotel general manager even enjoying occasional rides on her motorcycle.

Fast-forward almost a decade to 2023 and Lee’s body began sending out serious warning signs once again. “I started feeling bad and attributed it to sinus and allergies,” she reasoned. “A lot of pain I was feeling in my body I attributed it to the weather.” Things got progressively worse. In April she went to California for a leadership conference where she had to have help getting to her gate at the airport, she just wasn’t strong enough to walk long distances. The final straw came two months later in June. Lee traveled to Knoxville to see family, her aunt went with her, and at this point, she traveled with a wheelchair. “On the way back, I got really sick in the car, my aunt said I was talking in my sleep and vomiting,” she said.

Lee went to the emergency room and wound up in the hospital for a month and a half, diagnosed with kidney failure. She needed several units of blood. “I can’t remember the number because each time I’ve gotten the transfusions I’m always kind of out of it, but I know the nurses were in there quite often changing out my bag.”

Each bag represents someone giving selflessly. The need for blood is constant. The Red Cross collects, processes and distributes about 40% of the nation's blood supply, a supply that’s there when people like Lee need it. A donation may help an accident victim, cancer patient or someone living with sickle cell disease.

Lee says the blood made a difference immediately and turned her life around. “I was so lifeless,” she said somberly. “You know, girl you could barely walk, you could barely talk, my tongue was pink my lips were pale, I didn’t have any blood in my eyes or in my fingernails. Once I received the blood it was a game changer and I’m ready to go.”

She says ‘ready to go’ figuratively. Lee is now on dialysis twice a week. “I could sit at home and cry and waste away, I refuse to do that,” the 56-year-old stated. She’s hopeful as she waits for a kidney transplant but knows she owes so much to strangers. “My first thing is I thank God for sending people to save my life all the time, I thank the people,” she said excitedly. “I don’t know who you are, but I thank you and when I see on Facebook different drives, I’m like yay it brings so much joy to my heart.”

Holly Long has known Lee for several years, they serve on different community boards together like Rotary in a small town north of Columbus, Georgia where they both live. “She (Lee) is such a visible bright personality in our LaGrange community,” Long said with a smile.

Long is also the Executive Director for the American Red Cross of Central Midwest Georgia. She knows the need for blood is constant. Long has seen firsthand folks walking in to give blood with kindness in their hearts, but she also feels donors may never realize how much an hour of their time can mean to someone fighting for their life. “I think unless you know somebody you just hear the statistics,” said Long. “But it really hits home if you know a life that is still living because of this impact,” she described.

Lee is now giving back, getting the word out to everyone she meets about how important blood donation is for the Red Cross and the people they serve, “I tell people I suffered in silence and now I want to heal out loud,” she said confidently.

To make a donation simply download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass^® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. 

From her neighbors to people she meets in day-to-day life, Lee shares her story, hoping to inspire donors to roll up a sleeve so blood will always be on the shelves. “So I am here because of those who were kind enough to give blood,” she said thankfully.