“What do you say to people who saved your life?” wondered 39-year-old Tyler Bacon before speaking and meeting many of the blood donors during the Blood Donor Appreciation event. Bacon thankfully credits many of those in attendance for playing a huge role in keeping him alive.  “It’s hard to express in words the feeling of generosity and the joy I feel. My first reaction on hearing I had acute myeloid leukemia or AML, was wondering if I was going to die. I had a lot of people come up and say, ‘What can we do to help, Tyler?’ We’re a tight community, and we’re really into youth sports, so a lot of families really showed their support. Giving blood was something they could do to affect my prognosis of getting better. I believe 30 plus friends and family members donated 111 different units of blood. It’s a special feeling to know you’re loved and cared for. I hope this motivates someone to go donate blood. I think that’s the true pay-it-forward spirit of this event.”

Tags: acute myeloid leukemia, AML, Blood Center, blood dononation, featured, Patient Story