Amy is a happy, energetic 2-year-old who loves Disney princesses and putting on makeup. She also likes helping others.
“I couldn’t ask for a kid that loves to help out more,” said Ryan, Amy’s father. “She loves to help wash dishes. Even the parts of your life that aren’t necessarily fun, she just wants to be involved. I really couldn’t ask for a kid with a bigger heart.”
Now, Amy needs help from the community. In early 2021, during her brother’s annual medical checkup, Amy’s mom asked the doctor to take a look at Amy’s rash.
A few days before, Amy had a slight fever and developed a rash that was enough to draw her mother’s attention.
The doctor’s office quickly did blood work. The doctor came back with news that Amy’s mom had just saved her daughter’s life.
Amy had leukemia and very low blood counts. Her mom was told to go home, get things situated, pack a bag and head to the emergency room as they’d likely be at the hospital for 10 days for treatment.
Since then, Amy has needed several blood transfusions, in addition to chemotherapy and other medications.
“As a typical civilian, I think there’s an inclination that there’s some big endless supply of blood, that hospitals don’t run out,” said Ryan. “That’s simply not the case. We’ve seen a slight bit of that and it’s enough to frighten us. What if it took eight hours? Eight days? What would that look like? It’s frightening, especially when every patient’s situation is so unique and different, and a lot of it is life-threatening.”
Amy’s family encourages the community to donate blood for her and patients like her. If you would like to schedule a blood donation, visit SouthTexasBlood.org.
