Lynn Carpenter and Myra Jackson pose proudly with their artwork. After witnessing her daughter's battle with cancer, Lynn is committed to regular blood donation to pay it forward to the donors who helped save Myra's life.
My daughter is a survivor of blood cancer. One of the reasons she survived was because of blood donations.
- Lynn Carpenter
Lynn Carpenter of Columbia, SC, has always been a blood donor. She gave as often as she remembered, but her dedication became personal in 2016 when her 17-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma.
“When a child needs blood, when their platelets are low, their hemoglobin is low, I saw directly the difference that it makes and how quickly a transfusion changes how their feeling and their prognosis – at least on that day,” Lynn described the transformative effects of a blood donation. “After they get a transfusion of whole blood, or platelets or both sometimes, it’s like night and day. If it’s that important for kids, it’s that important for an accident victim or an emergency surgery situation.”
While Lynn’s daughter Myra was being treated at St. Jude’s hospital in Memphis, she could see how blood transfusions gave Myra’s body the strength to fight.
“You can see it. You know when someone’s feeling bad – they’re feeling weak, feeling vulnerable. She would get blood and it didn’t take away the cancer, but it took away the ‘icky.’ That’s huge – you can’t fight if you don’t feel good.”
The last thing on any mother’s mind should be, ‘will there be enough blood and platelets to help my child get well again?’ Regular blood donors are key to a stable and healthy blood supply. Thanks to the donors who gave blood, Myra is now 22 years old and approaching five years past the end of her treatment. She’s going back to school and doing well.
“My daughter is a survivor of blood cancer. One of the reasons she survived was from blood donations,” Lynn expressed her gratitude to the donors who shared the gift of life. “To the donors who gave blood my daughter received. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart for saving her. Along with the chemo and radiation, your blood helped save her life. And I can never thank you enough.”
MARCH IS RED CROSS MONTH When help can’t wait during emergencies, American Red Cross volunteers and blood donors step up to ensure people in need receive relief and care. The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, and one donation can help save more than one life. Make an appointment to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.
