Blood Drive

Blood Drive

>> it's so important that anyone who can donate blood does, it's truly giving the gift of life.

But we're happy to welcome kate.

And jordan egger, whose life has been touched by your donations, and ladies, welcome.

>> thank you for having us, leila.

>> we have been doing this on a regular basis, we team up and have a blood drive, and maybe you can tell us how important it is for people to get out there and make an appointment and show up and give blood.

>> you just mention today, you're saving lives, and there is no replacement for blood.

And right now, people are off their regular schedule.

So we need our community to rally and come out.

>> jordan, your life has been touched in a personal way.

And maybe you can tell us about madison.

>> madison was born with a heart condition, her heart rate was really fast.

And they had to fix it, and when they did, they damaged her mitrovalve.

So she had to have two more heart surgeries, and she was the smallest baby in the world to get a prosthetic heart.

And they called around japan and the united states, and they had no record of it.

But she made it.

She'll be 13 in two weeks, and through that process, she had to have 72 blood transfusions.

>> when we're talking about 72 blood transfusions, how much blood are we talking about?

>> that's 72 pints of blood.

>> so when you donate blood, you're donating a pint.

>> you can donate both 0s, and b and o negative, you're donating two pints, it's completely safe.

And the needle is smaller, and that's kind of good.

And you get iv fluids in, and you get all of your platelets back, and everyone reports that they feel so much better.

And you're saving up to 6 lives.

>> on one of those, you can do the power blood.

And when did this start?

The practice of putting the platelets back and doing two pints at a time?

>> this has been going for years.

>> when we're talking about blood donations, it's saving your daughter's life is she living a normal life.

>> she is, she'll be 1 in two weeks, and she's a dancer.

>>> my kind of girl, yes.

>> she's just full of life.

And to me, that's the most important thing.

But yeah, she's a normal, healthy girl.

>> she was bosh with a heart condition, but cancer patients are the number one patient in need of blood.

So tell us about that.

>> in february of this month, we're partnering with the america cancer society to bring blood to the patients in need.

25 perfecting goes to treat cassius patients, so what we're asking for on the 18th is for our wonderful try county community to rally.

We have all been affected by cancer in one way or another and have a loved one and rally on behalf of a loved one who has fought this horrible disease.

>> there are 20,680 new cancer cases reported every single year, so we're talking a lot of need.

>> yes.

>> so its very easy for people to make an appointment.

And run through how you can download the app.

It's fantastic, i downloaded it, and you can track where your blood goes.

>> yes, it's a unique feature.

You can download it, and go to red cross.org.

Type in sponsor code fox 24, and it will come up.

And fill out your rapid path, do that the morning of, because the first question is how are you feeling today?

And it's going to save you a good 15 minutes on your blood donation.

>> eat something.

>> make sure that you eat a healthy meal full of protein ahead of time.

And you're well hydrated.

16-ounces is what we like to see, but on the 18th, we'll be outside of the dillard's wing on the blood mobile.

>> i've been on it before.

And it's very sleek and modern.

We'll have all of that