Using the T-shirts she and her mother received after donating blood to the Red Cross, Plentywood High School graduate Kamdyn Embler created a patchwork quilt.
Over the last four years, recent Plentywood High School graduate Kamdyn Embler has donated blood to the American Red Cross – and lots of it. Now she has the quilt to prove it.
As soon as she turned 16, Kamdyn joined her mother, Glenda Embler, at a blood drive in Plentywood. Glenda has been a Red Cross blood donor for at least a decade, and after many donations, received a Red Cross T-shirt. When Kamdyn began regular donations, she also gathered shirts.
“We had a lot of T-shirts, nine or 10 combined,” she said. "I made my own pattern for a quilt.”
Kamdyn set out to make a patchwork T-shirt quilt as a reminder of her volunteer efforts and the constant need for blood.
“I don’t feel like I’m doing that much,” she said. “It is only a 30-minute process that helps so many people.”
Kamdyn said the quilt tells quite the story of community giving, and she recently loaned it to her grandmother in Helena for show-and-tell sessions. When she earns enough T-shirts for a second quilt, Kamdyn intends to make one that her grandmother can keep, representing her whole family’s commitment to helping others.
“I thought (donating blood) was a great thing, but I was so nervous at first, but being afraid was for nothing,” Embler said of her fear of needles. “It is easy and provides a bigger result than most people think.”
Kamdyn’s 19-year-old brother is also a regular donor, and her sister will join the family tradition when she turns 16. Her father intends to donate too when his schedule aligns with donation opportunities.
Kamdyn is now a freshman nursing student at Minot State University and said becoming a nursing major was always a goal.
“Just as I’ve always wanted to donate, I’ve always known I wanted to have an occupation in the medical field,” she said.
Each of her Red Cross blood donations is entered into a database, and Kamdyn receives an e-mail telling her where her blood was used.
“I had one donation sent to Missoula,” she said. “I was super excited about that. And I’m looking forward to learning where my blood can be used in North Dakota.”
She said she will continue promoting the importance of blood donation on social media and in person.
“I get excited to go donate again and really encourage younger kids to go, too.”
Every two seconds someone in the United States needs lifesaving blood. Find a blood drive near you or schedule an appointment today by visiting www.redcrossblood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS.
