Blood Roundup

Posted 10/28/20

Okeechobee Blood Roundup volunteer

In order to promote awareness of the upcoming 15th Annual Okeechobee Blood Roundup to be held at the Freshman Campus Auditorium on Nov. 21 and 22, we share …

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Blood Roundup

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Okeechobee Blood Roundup volunteer

In order to promote awareness of the upcoming 15th Annual Okeechobee Blood Roundup to be held at the Freshman Campus Auditorium on Nov. 21 and 22, we share stories of local Okeechobee folks who have received donations of blood and the difference it made in their lives.

Stage four is the most advanced stage of colorectal cancer. If you have been diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer, it means that the cancer has metastasized to distant sites, such as the liver, lungs or other organs. Many times, a person will show no symptoms of colorectal cancer, as was the case with Amanda Bates.

In April 2010, Amanda was driving down a street in Ocala when lots of blood began gushing out of her. She pulled over and a Marion County sheriff’s deputy stopped to assist her. He realized the urgency of Amanda’s situation and transported her to the hospital, which was only a block away. During surgery to stop the bleeding, Amanda was given blood to replace all that which she lost. Six days later, Amanda received more units of blood during the surgery performed to remove the cancer from her colon and her uterus because the cancer had spread there. Amanda went through the next year taking chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and she is currently in remission.

During Amanda’s surgery to remove the cancer, her surgeon performed a diverting colostomy and an ileostomy bag was attached for collection of waste. When Amanda had her colon reattached in March 2011, she needed blood for that surgery as well. Then, in March 2012, Amanda required blood again when she had anal fistula surgery.

Amanda’s blood type, AB Negative, is the rarest blood type — just 1% of the donor population has it. It can be hard to find new donors— so, according to Amanda, every time she needed blood, the blood bank put out a call to people with that rare type. Amanda is extremely grateful for all the donors who answered those calls because they literally saved her life.

Please thank Amanda for sharing her story by donating the gift of life — your blood — at the 15th Annual Okeechobee Blood Roundup on Nov. 21 and 22 at the Freshman Campus Auditorium. All blood donors will receive a commemorative Roundup T-shirt and refreshments.

Susan Williams, blood, donations, roundup, donate

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