To Kory Meyers, the Nation’s blood supply was never a concern.  In fact, he never really thought about donating blood himself.  But his perspective on blood donations quickly changed when his nine-year-old daughter Ellie Meyers was diagnosed with leukemia in May.

For the Meyers’ family, everything happened very suddenly.  In May, the Meyers took Ellie to urgent care because she was tired all of the time and complained about weakness in her legs.  The initial physical did not detect anything serious.  But subsequent blood tests taken on May 24 did. The tests showed the potential of blood clots, so the Meyers immediately rushed Ellie to a hospital in Salt Lake City.  Additional test results showed she had leukemia.  All of this happened within twenty-four hours, both a whirlwind and lifetime for the Meyers’ family.

Since her diagnosis, Ellie has undergone chemotherapy treatments and has received four blood transfusions and four platelet transfusions.  These transfusions have given Ellie the strength and energy she needs to withstand additional chemotherapy treatments.

Ellie is certainly not alone.  According to the American Red Cross, approximately 36 thousand units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.  And many of those units are injected into the hundreds of thousands of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments, just like Ellie.  The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately three units.

Ellie is very fortunate in that she has not had to wait for her blood and platelet transfusions. But her father Kory is no longer taking anything for granted because he is now aware of the extreme shortages of blood supplies nation-wide.  Hospitals often prioritize available supplies for children like Ellie who suffer from cancer or other diseases.  Promoting awareness is key because, according to the Red Cross, only three percent of age-eligible people donate blood every year.

“I never realized how critical the nation’s blood supply is until it affected my family personally,” Kory said.  He added, “If you ever want to do something honorable, this is the thing. Donate blood.”

Ellie Meyers is getting on with her life as much as possible despite the tremendous obstacles she faces.  She loves swimming, crafts, and playing with Legos—and is able to do those things thanks to the blood and platelet transfusions that give her the strength she needs to stand up to the effects of chemotherapy.

Kory Meyers and his family want to help raise awareness about the critical need for blood donations. Blood and platelets cannot be manufactured—they can only come from volunteer donors. For more information about donating blood, visit the website www.redcrossblood.org.