_{Written by Isabel Anderson, Regional Communications Manager}

Rhonda Powell, an avid blood donor, never expected to be the person who relied on blood transfusions but in January of 2024, she was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that became terminal. Now, she finds herself on the other end of blood donations as she requires transfusions to live.

Rhonda says her perspective has changed since she was first diagnosed, ” I never thought that someone going through cancer treatment would need blood transfusions. And I’ve needed a lot of them.”

In fact, since January 2024, she’s needed 11 units to live comfortably as she undergoes chemotherapy.

Her passion for donating blood started 20 years ago when she and her husband rolled up their sleeves for the first time. A month later they received a very special note in the mail: the patient who received their blood wanted to thank them personally. Rhonda recalls, “it was inspiring to know that someone did use this. You see it going in the bag and you see it go away but we were able to attach it to a real person”.

Remembering the impact that message had on her, she now makes it part of her blood transfusion routine to do the same.

“A couple of times when I go in for a blood transfusion, there’s been a little green heart on my bag and you can scan it on your phone and type out a thank you that will go to the donor. Anytime that green heart has been on my bags, I send it off.”

On July 9^th, a friend of Rhonda’s held a blood drive in honor of her. This blood drive collected 16 units and saw 5 first-time donors. That means up to 48 lives can be impacted thanks to this drive.

Rhonda’s mom, Julie, and daughter, Charlee, shown in the picture, sat by her side that day. Although Julie has never donated blood before, her daughter’s diagnosis inspired her to donate for the first time during Rhonda’s blood drive. Julie remarked, “When she had to get blood, I thought ‘Should I help replace that blood?’. Anything to help her out”.

This blood drive attracted people with similar stories that inspired them to donate. Gerardo Aguilar, shown to the left, held a similar story close to his heart. A few years ago, a blood drive was held in honor of his three year old niece who was battling leukemia. That blood drive was his first time donating and since then, he’s become an regular donor. Gerardo has the universal donor blood type, O-, and so he makes an effort to donate as much as he can.

If you would like to host a blood drive in honor of someone or donate blood, please visit redcrossblood.org.