Story told by: Nick Gibson

Donating and hosting blood drives means so much more to Leah Coppo who lives in North Charleston. Leah started donating blood after seeing her mother help save lives for those in need.

“When I was growing up my mom was a donor, I went with her to all of her appointments,” said Leah. “I always knew it was important because she was so adamant about it when I was growing up. I was always grateful for the gift that she was giving people.”

Leah says her mother donated at least 12 gallons of lifesaving blood. In 2008, Leah’s mother, Donna, was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She defeated the disease but faced a second diagnosis in 2010. Leah says her mother discovered the cancer had returned while donating blood after something unusual came back.

“Actually, it was her donation the second time around that gave her the indication that she was sick again because her hemoglobin was low and it was never low before.”

Her mother needed blood transfusions while battling cancer, but her condition worsened.

“In 2011, she passed away, and I vowed that I would keep her legacy going.”

Leah began to help host blood drives at the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic in North Charleston, South Carolina in 2023. Since then, she has helped support 17 blood drives, collecting 434 units of lifesaving blood. Leah says these blood drives are very productive, and she understands the impact of every unit that is donated.

Each day, the American Red Cross needs to collect about 12,500 blood donations and nearly 3,000 platelet donations to meet the needs of patients at about 2,500 hospitals and other facilities across the country. Blood products help accident and burn victims, heart surgery, and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer, or sickle cell disease.

About 62% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, but only about 3% donates. Many blood program managers like Leah would always like that percentage to go up.

“It makes me so proud. Every time it just makes me feel incredible that we’ve helped this region, this area, get more donations,” said Leah, who donates as often as she can. “It truly is the gift of life. If people didn’t donate, many of us would have lost loved ones much sooner than we had to. Those extra few months that I had with my mom were a gift and I’ll be grateful for it, forever.”

Join us in showing that a little care goes a long way by scheduling an appointment to give blood or platelets. Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).