By Katherine Liu, Red Cross Volunteer

When Katherine Boyd stepped into a blood donation over three years ago, she never expected the experience to change her life.

In 2018, Katherine was diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that causes the body to absorb excess iron and can damage organs over time. The treatment for hemochromatosis involves phlebotomy, or removing blood from the body to physically rid it of excess iron. Ever since her diagnosis, Katherine has been giving blood at least twice a year as a part of her treatment.

“There are many people who have undiagnosed hemochromatosis who are donating blood,” Katherine says, “And that leads them to having a healthier life and they don’t even realize that it’s helping them.”

She recalls that there was one such case in her own family. One of her relatives was diagnosed with hemochromatosis after being a regular blood donor for many years, and doctors found that his regular donations were improving his health before he was even aware that he had hemochromatosis. “That story has always kind of stuck in my mind,” Katherine says. She enjoys the fact that she can donate blood to treat her own condition while also helping others in need of blood.

Several years after Katherine’s hemochromatosis diagnosis, something unexpected happened during a routine blood donation. As the phlebotomist (professional of drawing blood) was taking Katherine’s pulse, she found an abnormal heart rhythm. She advised Katherine to visit a doctor, who diagnosed her with premature ventricular contractions, or extra heartbeats that originate in the ventricles and disrupt the heart’s normal rhythm. “It can be totally benign or cause problems over time,” she explains, “but I don’t think I would have known about it if I hadn’t been donating blood.”