Story told by: Debbie Underwood, Red Cross Volunteer

Multiple Sclerosis forced Mary Helt of Irmo, South Carolina, to retire early from teaching. Every day she battles fatigue, loss of coordination, and relies on a cane to get around. Yet despite all the physical challenges she faces, Mary still takes the time and effort to be a platelet donor. She feels good about giving hope and healing to patients she will likely never meet.

Mary first started donating blood when she was in college, but after her diagnosis in 2001, she had to stop. The medications helping her manage her symptoms made her ineligible to give. Years later, when Red Cross eligibility guidelines changed, she discovered she could donate again.

Mary says one motivating factor for her is a family member who faced serious health complications.

“My cousin, when he was 10, he had leukemia, so I know all about the need for it,” said Mary. 

Mary soon learned that not only can donors give blood, but they can also donate platelets to help save lives. 

Platelets are small, colorless cell fragments in our blood that form clots and stop or prevent bleeding. They can be essential to cancer patients, trauma victims, and those undergoing surgery. Platelets can be donated more frequently than blood- every seven days and up to 24 times a year.

“I have good days and bad days, where sometimes it’s hard for me to get out of bed and go and do anything,” Mary said. “I get exhausted very easily, it’s hard for me to go shopping or do daily tasks. So, for me to come here, it’s easier because all I have to do is drive here and then I lay here for three hours.”

Mary says she gets treated very well while donating platelets.

“They let me nap,” she says with a laugh. “I watch a movie, and then after a couple of hours of being hooked up, they tell me I’m done. Then I get to grab some good snacks and head out the door, so I don’t have to physically do anything to be able to help other people.”

She also cherishes the sense of community at the blood donation center. 

“The people that are here, they’re wonderful. It’s like a family thing in there. I bring my own pillow which happens to be a Pooh Bear pillow,” said Mary.

Mary adds that when she gets her name tag, Pooh Bear gets his name tag too. She says Red Cross staff make the process comfortable and enjoyable.

Today, Mary donates platelets 12–13 times a year. Her resilience shows that even in the face of a chronic illness, one person can make a tremendous impact.

The need for donors like Mary has never been more urgent.

Severe winter storms have recently disrupted hundreds of blood drives across the country. Since the beginning of the year, more than 800 drives have been canceled, resulting in over 20,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations.

Right now, hospital demand is outpacing donations, reducing the national blood supply by nearly 35%. That’s why donors of all blood types, especially platelet donors, are urgently needed.

Join donors like Mary. Schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment today and help rebuild the nation’s supply by visiting Redcrossblood.org