The eldest of five born to our parents Walter and Yolande, I was the only child to have been born without Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), a rare genetic disorder that causes abnormal blood vessel formation. In 1988, our sister Natalia passed away at twelve years of age from complications of this disorder, Desiree has suffered iron deficiencies and other complications, Janelle has suffered a stroke in her twenties (but within months ran a marathon and returned to work!) and our brother Matthew has required multiple operations and procedures including two brain surgeries. During the course of their treatments, they have all benefitted from the gift of blood. I've recently provided my 62nd whole blood donation, and my 21-year-old son Greydon has recently become a donor. I'm proud of him! Having been blessed with good health, donating blood has been my way of supporting my loved ones. Donating blood is a privilege that I am honoured to share with others. Especially our loved ones who need it.
