By Airik Myers, American Red Cross

Jamie Ohl Turner’s story is a powerful reminder of how every blood donation has the potential to save a life. Years after receiving 11 transfusions following a devastating car accident, she now stands before her Tri-Cities community to share her gratitude and the importance of giving back.

When Jamie Ohl Turner first helped organize blood drives at Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, she had no idea that someday she would be the one needing those donations to survive. “I remember learning all the statistics about how important blood donations are,” Jamie said. “But I never could have imagined I’d one day become part of those very statistics myself.”

On May 30, 2013, life took an unexpected turn. After spending a long weekend visiting friends, Jamie began the familiar drive back to Washington State University. The stretch of Highway 26 between the Tri-Cities and Pullman is one she’d driven many times before. But on that day, fatigue set in, and everything changed in an instant.

Jamie drifted off behind the wheel, lost control of her car, and rolled seven times down a 30-foot embankment near Dusty, Washington. She was trapped inside the wreckage with severe injuries and fading consciousness. ”I now know firsthand the dangers of zoning out or getting complacent on those long drives,” she said.

Emergency responders from LaCrosse and Colfax rushed to the scene, risking their own safety to pull her from the car. Jamie was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, coding several times along the way. Her injuries were extensive (damage to her shoulder, knee, back, wrists and internal organs) and recovery was long and uncertain.

“I spent over a week in intensive care, a month in recovery, and then another week in rehab before finally going home,” she said. “Even then, it took three months in a wheelchair and two years of follow-up appointments before I was fully recovered.”

Throughout that time, Jamie received those 11 blood transfusions with each one being vital to her survival. “At one point, I had more of other people’s blood than my own,” she said. “Without those donors — regular people who took a few minutes out of their day to give — I wouldn’t be here today.”

Now, more than a decade later, Jamie has made a remarkable recovery. She’s completed her education, gotten married, and now works for the Providence Office of Philanthropy, supporting efforts that give back to her community, just as others once supported her. 

The Lifesaving Power of Blood Donation

Jamie’s story is a powerful example of how a single donation can mean the difference between life and death. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood —whether it’s for accident victims, cancer patients, or those undergoing surgery.

The Red Cross must collect roughly 12,000 blood donations every day to meet patient needs across the country. Despite that demand, only about 3% of eligible donors give blood each year. “It’s easy to think that one donation doesn’t make much of a difference,” Jamie said. “But I’m living proof that it absolutely does.”

Blood can’t be manufactured or stockpiled indefinitely, making regular donations critical to maintaining a stable supply. By donating, individuals help ensure hospitals have the right type of blood available when every second counts. “If my story inspires even one person to donate, then it’s worth sharing,” Jamie added. “Because you never know whose life you might be saving.”

Her inspirational story came full circle this October when she spoke at the dedication of a new Red Cross blood collection facility in the Tri-Cities. Standing before staff, volunteers and donors, Jamie shared her gratitude and reminded everyone why blood donation matters so deeply to her.

“Having been through what I’ve been through, I know how important it is to have the right type of blood at the right time,” she said. “The Red Cross ensures that our community has what it needs when every second counts.”

Jamie ended her remarks with a heartfelt message to those who continue to give. “While my story is in the past, there are countless more stories to come, and countless more lives to be saved from the blood donations collected here,” she said. “And it’s all because of heroes like you. I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.”