Blood recipient meets donors that helped save his life
REHOBOTH BEACH, De. — Today in Rehoboth Beach, a Delmarva transfusion recipient is meeting the donors who saved his life.
The meet-and-greet is part of the Blood Bank of Delmarva’s “National Blood Donor Month” celebration. Ryan, the man whose life was saved said quote, “It’s hard to put into words how amazing it is to be kept alive by the kindness of other humans, as I’m sure it’s amazing for the donors to see what their donation has led to… In this case, the donations from complete strangers helped keep my life going.”
Ryan tells 47ABC it all started in Summer 2020, he started having pretty weird symptoms, bleeding through his teeth and excessive migraines. He says they were strange symptoms that he ignored because of the pandemic. This happened during a time the media said to stay home unless you’re very sick.
“I was kind of following the directions and being very patient with myself to try and see if the symptoms would subside, inevitably they didn’t,” Ryan adds.
On August 5th, 2020, he went to Millville South Coastal Emergency Facility. After doing some labs, doctors told Ryan there was no blood in his body.
“I was immediately trauma helicoptered up to Christiana Care up in Wilmington, receiving 4 units of red blood on that helicopter flight along with 2 bags of platelets product.”
Ryan was diagnosed with Idiopathic Aplastic Anemia. He tells 47ABC it is treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and transfusions. Ryan says the disease had made him completely transfusion dependent.
“It took me a awhile to realize that obviously in the middle of the pandemic being, and getting these diagnosis and being thrown in a helicopter, waking up in a hospital, you kind of just think in your brain why cant you guys just transfuse me back to the normal level and then send me home and be on my way,” Ryan says.
Ryan never thought he would have the opportunity to meet all the donors that helped saved his life, however that changes Thursday.
“My body’s not going to be making any of this blood any time soon – look at all these donors, look at all these strangers who you know at the time I’m thinking I’m never going to meet and be able to say thank you and be able to say ya know what a selfless thing you did to get me to the point I needed to get to that bone marrow transplant.”
“To be here now in a position over 400 hundred days later in immaculate health thanks to all the healthcare providers, the donors and my brother and my fiancé, its going to be really neat to meet some of these donors tonight and just say thank you.”
Ryan encourages people to donate blood. He says its important now as there is a severe shortage in blood right now. Ryan emphasizes he thinks a lot of people donate but don’t get to see where it goes. However, one simple selfless act can keep someone alive.
Ryan says it feels good to back living his life. His foundation 1 in 2 Million, provides comfort to let families know who are in the same position its going to be okay. He has a book coming out about the experience of the bone marrow transplant process. The end goal is to distribute that book for free to any hospital that does bone marrow biopsies and in the position to diagnose it. With his book he plans to reduce the initial shock that hits when you get diagnosed with something like this.
“I remember thinking if I get out of here that I have to write something better for someone in my shoes, especially in the pandemic with nobody there to help them,” Ryan tells 47ABC.
