When Mary Ann Tipton rolled up her sleeve at the St. Louis Public Radio Blood Drive in June, she marked a remarkable milestone - her 160th blood donation.

But for Tipton, the number means far more than a milestone.

"I wouldn't be here without the public blood supply," she said. "We wouldn't be having this conversation."

Tipton's story began more than seven decades ago in southeast Missouri. As a toddler living in the small town of Bloomfield, she became critically ill after suffering severe lead poisoning. Doctors couldn't determine what was wrong at first, but as her condition worsened, her parents were told she might not survive without specialized care at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Her mother made the long trip to St. Louis with her young daughter, hoping for a miracle.

At the hospital, doctors relied on extensive blood transfusions to save Tipton's life.

"I was very small, and eventually they had to use the veins in my feet," she recalled. "It was the availability of blood that helped me survive."

Years later, while helping clean out her grandmother's belongings, Tipton discovered hospital bills from 1953. The records detailed room charges, laboratory fees and units of blood that had helped keep her alive. Seeing those documents deepened her appreciation for the people whose blood donations she had depended on as a child.

"It really caused me to think about how many families and young children need that same help," she said.

When she was in her early 30s, Tipton began donating blood every 56 days whenever she could. Living and working in New York and Philadelphia, she became a regular donor and even helped organize workplace blood drives. Colleagues knew her as the "10-Gallon Gal," a nickname earned after reaching a major donation milestone.

Today, at nearly 75 years old, Tipton remains committed to donating whenever she's eligible.

Her motivation has never changed.

"Not everybody can donate," she said. "But had somebody else not donated blood, I wouldn't be here."

That belief has become part of her family’s story, too. Tipton remembers bringing her young nephew along when she donated blood years ago. Today, he shares those memories and the importance of blood donation with his own children.

For Tipton, every donation is a way of giving back to people she will never know and can never personally thank.

Her 160th donation at the St. Louis Public Radio Blood Drive represents more than a number. It represents decades of generosity, gratitude and a lifelong commitment to helping others.

And for the woman whose life was saved through blood transfusions as a child, every donation is proof that one simple act can change a life forever.