Just last summer, Amelia Saunders of St. John’s was camping with her family when her parents, Veronica and Doug, noticed she was not herself.
The normally happy three-year-old was cranky, tired and walking with a limp. Two days later, she developed a fever and red spots on her legs. They brought her to the doctor and while in the waiting area, Amelia started bleeding from her mouth. They were rushed to the Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre.
Fast-forward 24 hours later to the hospital where Veronica and Doug heard the devastating news no parent wants to hear: their baby had leukemia.
“Like many people, I never really thought about the blood supply,” says Veronica. “Not until I was in the hospital watching my daughter go through treatment. In the first 10 days of her treatment, Amelia received 11 blood transfusions.”
That’s when it hit them: patients like Amelia could not survive without the generosity of Canadians who ensure there is enough blood available by taking the time to donate blood regularly. It takes up to eight donors a week to help someone with leukemia. The constant, steady lifeline of blood donors is vital to cancer patients receiving treatment.
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