News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A Putnam County resident made her 76th platelet donation Friday, making her a 12-gallon blood donor.
Tiffany Anton said she had no idea of the number or that she had reached what Blood Assurance called a major milestone for any individual with 12 gallons donated.
“I had a niece that was born eight years ago, and she was really sick, and within the first 12 hours, she had to receive platelet transfusion,” Anton said. “And so in her short little three-month lifetime, Josie had over ten blood and platelet donation or transfusions during that time, and she was just very sick. And so it kind of became our family’s mission to make sure that Josie’s legacy lived on and we were able to help other families.”
Anton said she is proud of the milestone and thankful she can honor her niece’s 109 days of life.
“We want to make sure that other families who are in situations similar to ours are able to have the blood products that they need,” Anton said.
Blood donations are down over the last several years. In fact, levels are very low this week across the state. Anton said she encourages people to think about others.
“The one thing that I really want people to think about is we think on our end,” Anton said. “Oh, it takes time to drive over there. It might hurt. But the people who are receiving these blood products, whether they’re in a bad accident or they’re sick, and they need to get their immune systems up, this is life saving for them. And so I know it seems a little like it seems a little trumped up, maybe, to feel like, well, I’m saving a life today, but this is literally what we’re doing. And so I think when you can kind of think about that, the other end of things, it makes it a little easier.”
