23/07/2026
“I'm standing here today, able to be a mother to my two children, because a type O blood donor saved my life.”
Angelena Fly doesn't say those words lightly. They're a reminder of the strangers whose blood donations gave her the chance to watch her children grow up.
She was overwhelmed with joy as she welcomed her son into the world. She remembers counting his 10 fingers and 10 little toes, soaking in the moment every parent dreams about.
Then everything changed.
“I remember not feeling so good,” Angelena said. “And in that moment, my whole room was filled with emergency nurses.”
She was hemorrhaging. As doctors searched for the source of the bleeding, her condition rapidly declined, and blood transfusions became her lifeline.
“I had two lines in me — one in a major artery and a standard line,” Angelena said. “I received seven bags of blood and they were pumping it into me just as fast as I was losing it.”
The experience transformed her understanding of blood donation.
“I never thought that I would rely on another human and their blood,” Angelena said. “If a complete stranger didn't donate, I would not be here today.”
Last year, she hosted a blood drive at her workplace and rolled up her own sleeve to donate blood herself, contributing to 31 units of blood collected.
To Angelena, those donations represent far more than a number.
“That's 31 more chances to save a life, 31 more times a mom can go home, 31 more chances to fill the blood bank when there's a shortage,” she said.
