“You never realize the importance of blood donations until someone you love needs it,” says Jackie Huntsman. In 2016, Jackie’s husband Ted was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which prevents his body from producing red and white blood cells, as well as platelets, the component which enables blood to clot. For the past seven months, Ted has needed transfusions every two to three weeks. “His life has depended on the grace of God, along with blood transfusions” says Jackie.
Ted Huntsman is a Barnesville native, Vietnam veteran, and was an avid outdoorsman before he got sick. He is a member of the St. Clairsville Church of Christ and has devoted much of his life to serving God. For many years, Ted donated blood at the annual Barnesville Blood Bash, which is a student-run community blood drive organized by Barnesville High School for the past 34 years. This extraordinarily successful event has helped save about 39,000 people’s lives – almost 10 times the village’s population.
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