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Kadie’s journey into blood donation advocacy began with her daughter, Arabelle, who needed a liver transplant. Kadie reflects, "She was very, very sick and had been her entire life. The transplant healed her and gave her a chance to be a normal toddler." The surgery and recovery were challenging, requiring multiple blood transfusions. "The blood transfusions kept her body healing with her new liver," Kadie explains.
Today, Arabelle is thriving, something that brings immense joy to Kadie. "She loves to eat and run, which she couldn’t do before. She is learning new things daily and has become a completely different child." Despite needing ongoing monitoring to ensure her body doesn’t reject the liver, Arabelle’s zest for life is undeniable. "Arabelle is the toughest person I have ever met. She wants to play and help others," Kadie proudly shares.
The lifesaving gift of blood transfusions during Arabelle's surgery deeply moved Kadie, inspiring her to raise awareness about blood donation. "I have not stopped thinking of ways to give back ever since," she says. To turn this passion into action, Kadie set up a mobile blood drive on our Bloodmobile with her youth soccer team. "The team I was working with when my daughter had her transplant was very attached to her," Kadie recalls. Together, they organized a blood drive, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn new skills while spreading awareness. "The team worked together to create a successful event," Kadie says, highlighting the community’s collective effort to make a difference.
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