After a stranger donated the lifesaving stem cells that helped her husband recover, Bozeman resident Dianne Click is a passionate advocate for blood donation.
Bozeman resident Dianne Click is passionate about blood donation after a stranger took the time to roll up a sleeve and make her husband Kevin’s stem cell transfusion possible.
“So, a total stranger gave (Kevin) lifesaving cells. And it wasn't just a half-hour donation. It was a process for this total stranger,” she said.
Through Kevin’s treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, they learned more about the critical role that a steady and diverse blood supply plays for all patients. Dianne says she and her family have type O negative blood and felt compelled to give back.
Kevin Click received a lifesaving stem cell transfusion at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
“So when I came back to Bozeman after spending a year in Boston, I made it my mission,” she said. “Everyone is wired differently, but for me, I felt a sense of responsibility.”
Donors start their blood journey as complete strangers, but they join a whole community that saves the lives of neighbors near and far.
“A lot of people are like, ‘I want it local’,” she said. “But I don't really have a preference on where it lands. I prefer just to give it to save someone's life.”
Following recovery, the Click family had the opportunity to speak with the blood donor who gave them hope for a future with their father and husband.
“When we met him, we asked, ‘Why did you do it?’, and he said, ‘I thought, I can save a life without having to give a kidney or worse yet perish — and here I am talking to you’,” she said. “It was a tear-filled, magical moment.”
Nearly four years later, Kevin and his family are thriving thanks to that single act of selflessness. Dianne is now a Red Cross blood drive host and is encouraged to see donors of all blood types walk through the Bozeman donor center’s doors, especially those like her with the universal blood type.
“Working here, I see how many (with type O negative blood) step up to the plate proportionally for the percentage of the population that we actually are,” she said. “It’s amazing. So our neighbors are truly stepping up.”
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