Life Saving Blood

Today I am grateful for life saving blood. The message from HopeKids below puts giving blood in a different perspective. It also makes me realize that I need to start giving blood. I am very grateful for those individuals, who ever they are and where ever they are, that donated healthy blood that eventually was received by Raylee during her blood transfusion and platelett transfusion, and surgeries. If it weren't for these individuals who kept themselves healthy enough for their blood to go to an immunocompromised child, she may not have made it. I am also grateful for Jesus Christ for giving his blood to all of us....if you read below you will understand what I mean. I feel so inspired to share this with you on Thanksgiving day. :)


Life Saving Blood

"Today's HopeMinute is from HopeKids mom Brenda Empie. Her son is diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia.

Before having children I used to donate blood on a regular basis. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I was frequently annoyed with the time it took out of my day. I never once thought of the ramifications of what I was doing. In my ignorance I never once thought that by donating blood I was donating life.

Then one day a doctor told us that our son has Aplastic Anemia--a type of bone marrow failure--and someone else’s blood will be needed to keep him alive while they figure out the course of treatment. For months, all but the tiniest amount of white blood cells in my son's body were donated by someone else. Someone else's sacrifice of time and convenience kept him alive. I had never been more thankful!

As he got transfusions I would ponder these things. I kept thinking there is life in this blood he’s receiving. I would always thank God that someone took the time to donate life. And then an understanding came to me with such clarity that I gasped. Although the understanding of someone else’s blood sustaining the life of my son was new to me it wasn’t new to God. Jesus’ sacrifice of his time, love and blood is what sustains me. Through His blood I have forgiveness of all my sins AND eternal life. Wow!

I pray that you may know the abundant life that is offered through the precious blood of the lamb. That you would understand and find comfort in his love.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19, New International Version)

-Brenda Empie, HopeKids mom, Utah Chapter"