Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
Every blood donation is important, but CMV-negative blood donors are especially impactful. Much like how different blood types can help different people, CMV-negative blood donations are essential for patients with weakened immune systems, including newborns.
CMV-negative blood comes from donors who have not been exposed to cytomegalovirus, which is like the virus that causes chickenpox or cold sores. CMV is generally harmless to adults but can be fatal to babies, so it’s extremely important that hospitals have CMV-negative blood donations for their smallest and most vulnerable patients.
As a CMV-negative blood donor (also referred to as a Hero for Babies at the American Red Cross), you can help newborns like Roisin Lucas-Hayes who started to show signs of respiratory distress soon after being born. Roisin was diagnosed with premature lungs – and doctors were concerned about her red blood cell production. She was transferred to a nearby hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit – and placed on a ventilator. Her parents then received more stressful news.
“At just one day old, she would need a blood transfusion to boost her red blood cells and boost the oxygen in her blood to promote healing,” her mother, Kerrin Lucas, shared. “It’s one of those things that you never expect is going to happen to you or your family.”
Kerrin, a board member with our New Hampshire Chapter, said the one comforting part of this whole ordeal was knowing the blood was coming from the American Red Cross.
“I didn’t hesitate for a second to trust the Red Cross and the blood supply we were going to get,” she said. “There’s a chance that Roisin would have been okay without it. But the doctor said, with it, her chances at success increased exponentially. The strain on her body without that blood transfusion would have been extreme. So, I think it’s reasonable to call it lifesaving.”
Roisin received one unit of blood and remained on the ventilator for four days before she was moved to a CPAP – and eventually started to breathe on her own. After two weeks in the hospital, Kerrin and her husband Charles were finally able to bring their baby home.
“I can’t imagine how I would have felt if the blood supply wasn’t there. I don’t know what I would have done,” Kerrin added. “The level of appreciation is hard to put into words. We are just so fortunate.”
Interested in learning if you could be a CMV Negative Donor? Check out our Heroes for Babies webpage and then book your appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).