By Cristina Maisel

When Kylie McCullough became a mom last summer, she never imagined her journey would begin with a life-threatening emergency. After complications during childbirth led to severe bleeding, it was the generosity of anonymous blood donors that helped save her life.

Kylie underwent an emergency C-section during the birth of her son, Teddy. Doctors discovered bleeding from her uterine artery, an issue that was initially repaired during surgery. But shortly after, she began hemorrhaging again.

“I was terrified,” Kylie said. “It doesn't feel good when they're calling for all the blood they could get. It's not knowing if I was going to wake up.”

She was rushed back into surgery and received a massive transfusion — multiple units of blood that ultimately helped save her life. Afterward, Kylie was monitored in the ICU, separated from her newborn son.

“Teddy was in the nursery; he couldn't be in the ICU,” she said. “After a day and a half, I was transferred to the maternity wing, and we were able to be together. We stayed six days in total, then went home.”

Now healthy and home in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, with her husband, son, and their dog, Kylie is reflecting on the people she’ll never meet: the blood donors who made her recovery possible.

“It’s very important to me to find a way to give back because without those blood donors, I wouldn’t be here,” Kylie said.

To express her gratitude, Kylie partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at the American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter in Allentown. Her friends, family, and community members from across the Lehigh Valley showed up to give blood alongside her. Hosting the drive was Kylie’s way of paying it forward to the anonymous donors who gave her a second chance at life.

“I want to be able to say thank you,” she said. “You hear that it’s important to donate blood, but you don’t understand the impact until you need it. I can’t thank them enough, but I’m never going to know who they were. I’m very thankful that they took time out of their day to donate blood.”

Conditions like postpartum hemorrhage — excessive bleeding after childbirth — can be deadly if not immediately recognized and treated with blood transfusions. Every day, volunteer blood and platelet donors are needed to help save lives. When you roll up a sleeve to donate, you help change a life. Visit RedCrossBlood.org or download the Red Cross Blood Donor App to schedule an appointment to give now.