By: Allan Zullo, American Red Cross

Seeing her four-year-old son Toby receive vital blood and platelet transfusions during his battle against leukemia, Cameron Mullins felt extreme gratitude.  She also felt a need to pay it forward.  And so she has—by donating her own blood to the American Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center in Asheville, North Carolina. 

“I am so thankful that Toby was able to get the transfusions from others who donated their blood and platelets,” said Cameron, of Asheville. “And I’m thankful that now I have taken the opportunity to donate my blood.”

In February, Toby—an active, happy-go-lucky boy—was diagnosed with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer that requires extensive chemotherapy.  Before doctors could put a needed chemo port into him, however, he required a blood transfusion and a platelet transfusion because his blood counts were too low.

“During the whole time of the transfusions, all I could think about was how grateful I was that someone had taken the time out of their busy day to donate this blood and that Toby was able to receive this precious gift,” said Cameron.  

“Right then and there, I decided that I would donate blood and that I would make it a habit to donate it on a regular basis.  I wanted to give the gift of blood to some other child or adult who would need it.”

Up until then, she admitted, she had never thought much about being a donor herself. “I always had avoided thinking about it,” she said.  “I was worried that I would pass out or feel real weak afterwards, so it wasn’t something I considered.”

Cameron’s desire to donate blood took on added meaning because she wanted to help Toby overcome his fear of needles.  “Every time he goes to get anything done at Mission Hospital’s cancer clinic, they have to pull blood work, so he’s stuck with needles a lot,” she said. “He doesn’t mind going to the clinic and he loves the nurses and is familiar with the doctors, but he hates being stuck with needles.  He always had a very big reaction when he would get stuck. He used to cry full on, ‘No, no, Mama!’ Even as I held his hand, he would be screaming so loud as if I was in the next room.” 

When the time was right, Cameron made an appointment with the blood and platelet donation center in Asheville. “I took Toby with me when I went to donate blood because I was always holding his hand when he got stuck and I wanted him to have the chance to hold my hand while I got stuck and that it would be fine.  I told the staff there about Toby’s situation and asked them if he could be by my side and watch.”

It’s somewhat unusual for a young child to sit with a parent while the parent gives blood. But the staff felt this was a special circumstance.

“Every donor has a story to tell, but I was especially touched by Cameron’s and Toby’s story,” said Mary Spinner, the phlebotomist who drew Cameron’s blood.  “It was so profound, so directly impactful.  It was amazing to have her son there because he is such a little warrior.  Through everything, he has been such a trooper.  I wanted to make sure he got to see the process.

“I remember that when I put in the needle, his eyes lit up and he said something like, ‘Wow, Mom is really getting stuck.’” 

Toby thought it was fun, said Cameron.  “He was kind of in awe and intrigued.  He was thoroughly entertained watching me get stuck by the needle. He was very curious at the beginning and he watched closely and saw that I was calm and didn’t react.  But after a few minutes, he said, ‘Okay, I’m going to play my video game now.’  It was like a very normal thing to him.  He got bored by the blood draw.  For me, I was filled with a range of emotions.

“It was a really good experience for the both of us.  Mary was awesome and so kind. I was just so grateful for her and the people who worked there.  I left feeling overwhelmed by their kindness and understanding.” 

Cameron said that a few days later, at Toby’s next clinical appointment, he told the nurses how he watched his mother get poked. “They thought it was cool,” she said. “Since then, he has been stuck with the needle many times, and he handles it a whole lot better than he used to.”  

After the induction-month treatments, doctors announced that Toby was in remission.  However, treatment will continue for two years.  “He is in the favorable risk category, so he gets a lower dose of chemo than those who are at higher risk,” said Cameron.  “He still must go through this process, and he currently receives chemo every ten days.  There will be a round of intense treatment called ‘delayed intensification’ beginning next month where he has several chemo treatments daily. After that, it will be maintenance chemo. The good news is that everything is going along favorably.”

Meanwhile, Toby, who will turn five next month, attends pre-K at the Asheville Jewish Community Center.  “He feels good and is looking forward to kindergarten next fall,” she said. 

“Toby loves to ride his bike and play with trucks and race cars.  He loves school.  He’s a Ninja Turtles fan, and loves doing Ninja moves—especially on me.  He’s very playful and energetic.” 

Cameron, the financial aid director for the Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts, an acupuncture graduate school, is a single mom. “It’s been hard at times, balancing work with his treatment schedule, but we manage,” she said.  “And it helps that I have such a supportive staff at the school.

“Toby knows he has a thing called leukemia, but he doesn’t understand the weight of having cancer.  He’s doing really well, but I’ll always be on alert, wondering if it will come back.”

In the meantime, Cameron said she intends to donate blood on a regular basis, adding, “Toby received the gift of blood and now I can give that same gift to someone else in need.”

Every day, blood donors help patients all across the United States: accident and burn victims, new mothers, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer and sickle cell. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.  The American Red Cross is currently facing an emergency blood shortage, and more donors are needed to help ensure patients have access to lifesaving medical treatments without delay.

To find out more about Red Cross Blood Services, including how to become a blood donor, visit RedCrossBlood.org.