Hunter Smith, of Homedale, Idaho, was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 16. For his a senior project, he's organizing a blood drive and explaining how blood donation impacts cancer patients like himself.
Hunter Smith, then 16, was low on blood when he was diagnosed with leukemia.
“My life took a turn with what I went through with the cancer,” he said. “I remember going in for transfusions very often.”
Blood donation hadn’t been on his radar before his diagnosis, but Hunter, now a senior, is organizing a blood drive Oct. 19 at Homedale High School in Homedale, Idaho, west of Boise.
“I appreciate the blood I received and thank the donors. It helps people with cancer or people who have had traumas,” he said. “The blood definitely helped me.”
For a senior project, Hunter put together an appeal to potential blood donors explaining how blood donation impacts cancer patients like himself. Cancer patients need more blood than those with any other disease and use about a quarter of the nation’s blood supply, the Red Cross has determined.
The cancer itself, chemotherapy and surgery can all create a need for blood transfusion. In fact, the Red Cross estimates five units of blood are needed every minute to help someone going through cancer treatment.
Hunter has antibodies that attack foreign blood, so he had to have a rare blood type match. That makes a large donor pool even more crucial.
Hunter “lost football” to his disease, but his oncology team is “confident I’m going to get through it,” he said. Blood donation “kept me alive.”
PLEASE GIVE
Cancer patients like Hunter use about a quarter of the nation’s blood supply. For those undergoing chemotherapy, blood transfusions provide relief from some symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets today and be someone’s lifeline. Visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800-RED-CROSS to find an opportunity near you.
