CLARKSTON, Mich. – There is currently a national emergency blood and platelet shortage. The Red Cross national blood product supply has fallen by more than 25% since July 1st. The Red Cross is working with hospitals to meet the blood needs of patients, but more donors are desperately needed to help provide lifesaving care.
Now 13 years old, Carly Cogan of Clarkston still clearly remembers the day things changed.
“When I was 11, I was cooking with my mom in the kitchen, and I started to feel really dizzy and lightheaded,” said Carly Cogan.
Carly’s mom Cecelia Cogan was concerned.
“It wasn’t really until a couple of days later, she showed me that she had bruises on her legs and that just kind of - the mother instinct feeling kicked in immediately. I had her at the doctor the very next day,” said Cecelia Cogan.
After some quick testing, the family got the call. Carly was diagnosed with adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It’s a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell.
“Shock. Words just can’t describe,” said Carly’s dad Chris Cogan.
“It’s obviously something nobody wants to hear,” said Carly’s 18 year-old sister Christen. “It almost felt kind of unreal because, I don’t know, it’s something I felt like I, in my life, would never have to hear.”
The family quickly learned about what the next three years would hold for Carly, but there was more.
“We hear a lot about cancer patients equals chemo treatment, most of the time, right?” said Cecelia Cogan. “But we had no idea that there was a lot more to that that included a lot of blood transfusions and platelet transfusions as well, so that was something that was completely new to us, and we didn’t realize that was going to be part of the journey.”
“She got about 18 units of blood, 10 units of platelets throughout the whole treatment, so just really raised our awareness of how important the donations are,” said Chris Cogan.
Every drop of blood made a huge difference.
“You could almost tell when something, when her blood counts were low, she had no energy,” said Cecelia Cogan. “It was so comforting to know that that was always there available for her, and when we’d walk out, it was amazing. From the time you walk in, she would get the transfusion, she would walk out like a normal kid and be able to run and do whatever she wanted to do.”
Now Carly’s mom, dad, and sister have made it a mission to give back, donating as often as they can.
Christen has also become a Red Cross Donor Ambassador, volunteering her time to help at blood drives.
“I just want her to know that I’m really grateful for like what she does, and I don’t think I appreciated that enough,” said Carly Cogan.
Carly is almost finished with her treatment and said she is really looking forward to ringing that bell and getting back to normal.
“To the donors that have given blood, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Cecelia Cogan.
“We owe you, and we’re going to pay you back,” said Chris Cogan.
A promise they’re keeping, every time they donate.
To make an appointment to donate, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Local 4 is teaming up with the Red Cross and Gardner White furniture stores to hold special blood drives to help meet this need on August 13 and 15. For details on those drives, click here.