Tampa, FL
It was my first pregnancy, and finally, it was time to rush to the hospital to meet my baby. I had mentally prepared for labor, and 18 hours later, I delivered naturally and looked into my daughter's eyes with a love I never knew before.
What I hadn't prepared for was a complication that led to post-partum hemorrhaging. I lost a lot of blood and coded.
As I waned in and out of consciousness, I could hear the doctor yelling at me, "Don't you close your eyes!"
I thought of my daughter. My family. And then I didn't think of anything at all. I just trusted God and the medical team that was rushing around the room.
I received three pints of blood that saved my life. Three pints from three strangers. I'll never know who they are, and they'll never know who they helped. And the beautiful thing is it doesn't matter, because we all bleed red. There's an immense sense of selflessness in giving from yourself to help others — unconditionally.
Now, I'm a regular blood donor. I hope I can contribute to other people's healing, so that they, too, can have more time on this Earth to love and be loved.
