HEROIC STORIES
Superheroes are all around us. And so are the people they’ve rescued. Last year, approximately 22,000 patients received blood transfusions from MedStar employees who made the heroic choice to donate their precious blood. MedStar Health is proud to be associated with such amazingly caring people. You are one of them.
DID YOUR BLOOD SAVE BRIDGET’S LIFE?
HER MOM SAYS “THANK YOU”
Bridget Dick was born with a rare (four-in-one-million people) blood disorder called “atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome” or “atypical HUS.” When this disease is active, it causes kidney damage. At four months old, Bridget started showing symptoms of the disease. She stopped eating, couldn’t sleep, and was pale and weak. Her mother, Amy, had to hold her constantly and Bridget would cry inconsolably. But doctors, initially, did not recognize the rare disease.
Bridget's sister Rachel, Bridget, dad Andrew, sister Penelope, and mom Amy.
At six months old, Bridget’s kidneys shut down and her life was in danger. She was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. She received around-the-clock nursing care, medicine, and dialysis. After performing a kidney biopsy, doctors learned she had atypical HUS.
To treat Bridget, doctors used plasma, one of the three blood components that saves lives. Slowly, Bridget began to improve. She was removed from the ventilator, her kidneys began to work again, and she no longer needed dialysis.
Looking back, Bridget’s mother says the initial atypical HUS attack practically killed Bridget. “But the care and compassion of blood donors saved us from disaster,” says Amy. “Bridget’s health has been restored by regular plasma treatments. The plasma controls her disease and protects her remaining kidney function. It has enabled her to recover, grow stronger and thrive.”
During her three-month hospitalization, Bridget received countless plasma infusions. Ever since then, she receives plasma once a week. When she gets an infection or illness, she requires two or three plasma infusions a week. Her Georgetown physician, Dr. Bracho, estimates that over her lifetime, Bridget has received over 300 units of plasma. Each of those units represents an individual donor’s contribution. That’s three hundred people who have contributed to Bridget’s recovery!
Bridget’s weekly plasma infusions will continue indefinitely. So, every week that goes by, she is helped by another blood donor. Thanks to blood donors, plasma is always available when Bridget needs it.
“In five years, she never has had to miss her plasma,” says Amy. “Once, Georgetown suddenly and unexpectedly ran out of plasma. But Georgetown obtained plasma from the Baltimore blood bank. It traveled in a private taxicab from Baltimore to Georgetown — just for Bridget!”
“Once, Georgetown…ran out of plasma. But [they] obtained plasma from the Baltimore blood bank. It traveled in a private taxicab from Baltimore to Georgetown — just for Bridget!”
Amy continues: “I only wish the hundreds of blood donors could see their Bridget now! Our formerly sickly, sad baby has blossomed into a cheerful, friendly, 5-year-old dynamo. Her transformation is a source of wonder and inspiration to all our acquaintances: family and friends, doctors and nurses.
“She loves eating pizza, goldfish crackers, apples, and ice cream. She attends nursery school four mornings a week and looks forward to seeing her friends at school. She is learning reading, writing, and math from her 9-year-old sister Rachel. She loves science and hunting bugs. With her younger sister, 4-year-old Penelope, Bridget spends hours playing and creating art. She plays soccer and rides bikes. She is eager to begin kindergarten this fall.
“Funny thing is, if a donor did run across Bridget, never would they imagine that she was a child who needed them!”
Amy says that each week at the Georgetown clinic during Bridget’s treatments, she thinks about “our anonymous benefactors” – blood donors, because they are important players in Bridget’s remarkable story of recovery. They saved her life as a baby, and over the years, have given her a chance to regain her health, and eventually, to flourish.
Amy says that each week at the clinic during Bridget’s treatments, she thinks about the generosity of blood donors, who have given hundreds of units of blood to Bridget.
Blood donors have made it possible for Bridget to feel and be like other kids, not the nightmare of frequent doctors’ appointments, medical tests, and hospitalizations. Blood donors freed her family from a stressful life overshadowed by illness, disruption, and fear.
As Amy puts it, “To us, blood donors prove the amazing power of human kindness. They receive no public or personal recognition. They show the best human qualities: generosity, care, and commitment. They have our sincere respect and our deepest gratitude.”
So, remember, even if you cannot give blood – for whatever reason – you still have the power to be an incredible Superhero. Show your courage. Show your kindness. Grab a buddy, team up, and come to the rescue together!
And thanks for being a Superhero who makes a huge difference every day!
Giving Blood – The Awesome Power to Save Life
What motivates a hero to continually save the day, time after time? And what makes a MedStar blood donor WANT to come to the rescue whenever we need them?
Just as each person is unique, so is their reason for giving. Some may donate because their own life has been touched by someone who gave blood; and still others give because they recognize that supplies are often very low. Whatever inspires or motivates you, the end result is always the same – three lives are saved, three lives are forever transformed.
Want to share YOUR heroic story?
Email us: info@savethreelives.com
Be sure to include your name and telephone number.
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