Stephanie’s “Blood Story”

We received the following letter from Stephanie Klein, a lifesaving blood donor who graduated from nursing school in December.

We love our blood donors. Thanks for saving lives! And thank you Stephanie for sharing your story.

Happy World Blood Donor Day!

Today is World Blood Donor Day, a day when countries worldwide celebrate with events to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood. It is a day when we remember that although we may live in different countries, come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and have very different every day realities, that the same blood runs through all of our veins.

We wanted to share with you a story about blood donation in Guatemala that comes to us through Faith In Practice. The mission of Faith In Practice is to improve the physical, spiritual, and economic conditions of the poor in Guatemala through short-term surgical, medical and dental mission trips and health-related educational programs. They have volunteers throughout the United States, including a village and surgical team that are based right here in Northern California.

Early in May one of their surgery teams traveled to Patzun, Guatemala in order to perform much needed surgeries on the poor who have traveled from even more remote areas of the country. Earlier in the day one of the surgeons performed laparoscopic surgery to remove the gallbladder of a sweet woman named Marta Alice. This surgery, routine in the United States, is literally a lifesaver in Guatemala where many experience severe pain from gallbladders that they cannot afford to have removed. The surgery went well and Marta was moved into recovery. However, a little after 7pm, there was an emergency. Marta Alice was now hemorrhaging.  After stopping the bleed, doctors reported that she now desperately needed blood, so compatibility testing began at once. 

In Guatemala there is not a well established system for blood donation. Due to cultural differences and simply the problem of logistics, blood is scarce and rarely available “on the shelves” when needed. Many patients are required to have a family remember or friend donate blood prior to their surgery in case blood is needed. In this case, Marta Alice needed blood that was not readily available. Thankfully, two of the nuns at the hospital in Patzun matched type and one matched antigen compatibility, so blood was collected and transfused immediately. Hermanas de la Obra Esmeralda Vasquez and Olga Marina Villalobos both smiled nervously as they extended their arms and offered their life-giving blood for Marta. Without this blood, she surely would not have made it.

A story such as this reminds us that the need for blood crosses cultures, crosses boundaries both here in the United States and internationally, and unites us all as part of the same human race. On this World Blood Donor Day, we are so thankful for blood donors here in Northern California, for blood donors in the United States, and for the blood donors all around the world who so generously give the gift of life. Thank you.