Dear Donor
I see you walking into the blood bank sometimes.
You look just like a regular person but I know you are in disguise.
Unassuming on the outside, you are really a super hero.
A person who saves lives.
You saved my life, you know.
You saved my family.
Mostly you gave my daughter a second chance.
How can I tell you what that means to me?
My girl, Ivy, has an immune deficiency which means she can’t mount a response to infection, so a simple cold easily becomes life threatening.
She spent almost half of last year in hospital.
My family was torn apart – we had to juggle work and hospital and six other children between us.
It’s been a struggle.
Here’s where you come in;
because of your kind, selfless act, Ivy can have an infusion of antibodies, taken from blood.
This allows her to have a better life and she’s happy, so happy.
She’s like a different child.
Last year all she wanted to do was sleep, now she wants to dance, sing, draw and play
and she started preschool and now school.
Her life is less about hospital and more about living.
That’s an amazing gift you have given her,
one that I will always be grateful for.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart
from Ivy’s Mum.
Gorgeous , oh so gorgeous .
Hi there, am at work but want to read through this more. That is an adorable photo of Ivy. You are simply wonderful
Hi there, I heard a little of your story the other day while I was travelling and it almost broke my heart, to think such a beautiful little girl has to endure so much pain is unthinkable. I have been a blood donor for many years now and to hear that my small donation goes to help such a courageous person really makes it worthwhile to donate. To anyone who reads or hears about this angel, PLEASE give blood.
With your permission, I’d like to share this with our school’s Blood Drive committee… our high school students are routinely asked to donate, but I don’t think they really know the impact they make without a specific reference. You’re certainly more eloquent than I on the subject, and I imagine students would help more readily if they read your story.
Those amazing blue eyes, full of compassion and understanding! The soft curls in her hair, flowing around her beautiful face like waves over a gentle waterfall! Ivy has seen and experienced more things in her life than most of us ever will. She has touched and changed my life with just that photo.
Gorgeous Little Ivy it has been my great joy to go and donate blood/plasma in the hope that you may get mine one day and I know then that you have inspired me to do something really worthwhile in my life. Keep fighting. Much Love Aunty Manou
Ivy’s big beautiful photo on the wall of Newcastle Blod Bank, right where the plasma donors are hooked up!
My first plasma today since meeting Ivy and her wonderful family at the Blood Donor recognition night. And first time I’ve seen the poster – kept me smiling even as I had my first ever bleeder, when I moved my arm and blocked the needle on the last return cycle. DOH!
Tiff, your blog is now my required reading each day, and I’m so pleased to be donating again.
I work at the blood bank in Newcastle and have heard quite a lot about Ivy. It’s stories like these that make me realise just how important my job is! Whenever I have had a rough day, I just look at the picture of her up on our wall and it melts my cares away. It’s people like you and your daughter that I help every single day! I am blessed to be able to work at the blood bank and I hope that more and more people realise the importance of donating. Unfortunately there are alot of people that can’t, for various reasons. But there are also many that COULD and for some reason don’t! I wish that every person that comes onto this website realizes that it’s time to pick up there phone dial 131495 and speak to someone about organizing a donation!