By: Nanah Kiambati, American Red Cross Volunteer

Eben Pobee of Shoreline, WA remembers arriving at the hospital with his very pregnant wife, Harriett, on a Thursday. This wasn’t their first time. The couple was preparing to welcome a fourth daughter into their family. What made this trip different, however, was Eben’s feeling of excitement and concern.

Two years earlier, during the birth of daughter number three, Harriett needed an emergency blood transfusion. They also learned during this pregnancy that trauma caused by the last delivery left significant scar tissue that could prove problematic.

So the mixture of excitement and concern was well-founded. They hoped for a smoother delivery, knowing the doctors were prepared.

The cesarian surgery started smoothly. Eben was there with her, watching anxiously, wanting his wife and baby to be safe. Then, everything changed.“I could tell something was wrong,” Eben recalls about the moment when the energy in the room changed.

“The doctors started calling for backup, and all kinds of people came rushing into the room. Harriett started losing blood quickly.”

The medical team acted swiftly, infusing her with blood donations that undoubtedly saved her life. In that critical moment, Eben couldn’t help but be thankful for the anonymous blood donors who had given so generously.

“I felt helpless, but I was also so grateful,” he says. “Grateful that someone, somewhere, had donated blood to make this possible.”

The American Red Cross and other collection agencies must collect enough blood every day to meet the needs of patients across the country. Childbirth patients like Harriett, but also accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for cancer or sickle cell disease.

In every case, it is the blood already donated, prepared and on the shelves when an emergency happens that makes the difference in those critical moments.

Hours later, Harriett emerged from surgery, alive and well, able to hold her newborn daughter, healthy and safe in her arms.

“Seeing her hold our baby after all of that—it was overwhelming,” Eben says. “It felt like we’d been given a second chance.”

Eben has always been an advocate for blood donation, participating in drives whenever he can. But now, his efforts feel even more personal. Since that day, he’s attended blood drives in Seattle and Snohomish County, donating blood and sharing his story to inspire others.

“When you give blood, you might think it’s a small act, but it can mean the world to a family like mine,” Eben says. “To every blood donor out there, thank you for your selflessness. You’re heroes in the truest sense of the word.”

Harriet and all four of their girls are doing great, and every day Eben is thankful to the blood donors among us. The family’s story is a testament to the life-saving power of blood donation.

Your donation could be the difference between life and loss. Join the countless heroes who make stories like Eben’s possible. Donate blood today. 

As holiday celebrations continue in December, the American Red Cross strongly encourages donors to keep the blood supply top of mind by giving blood or platelets this month. Schedule an appointment to donate today by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.