Brittany’s Story

by Brittany Hill, grateful blood recipient, chef-in-training, and cancer survivor

Without WONDERFUL blood donors, I wouldn’t be alive.

On February 4, 2005, my mom received the worst news any mother could, “The cancer is in 95 percent of her blood and your daughter has 24 hours to live.” That night I found out that I had blood cancer. It was taking over my body and on top of that I had a rare blood type, B negative, which is found in only 1.5 percent of the population. My mom contacted Blood Centers of the Pacific and coordinated blood drives. She also contacted newspapers to make them aware of my situation and how critical it is to donate blood. Since then I have received several blood transfusions.

Blood donors, thank you for giving me a second chance at life. Every chance I get, I share my story. My years at high school, I talked with each of my classes about cancer and how I lived through it. My senior year of high school, I found out my school was doing a blood drive with Blood Centers of the Pacific. I decided to tell my story to the WHOLE school via TV announcements in order to encourage donors to sign up. More than 200 people signed up to donate blood for the school blood drive that year. Connecting with someone who has received blood transfusions and knowing that your blood can go to someone like them seems to be a good motivator.

So I say you today, thank you and go donate blood!

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