# @americanredcross on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DYX6YY-CbaG
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/72587366-americanredcross-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/ae4c4a5f6d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-05-15T21:00:55.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Red Cross (@americanredcross) — https://gondola.cc/americanredcross

## Caption

Three years ago, Sherry Kemp and her husband, Don, were enjoying retirement — spending time with their grandchildren, running a flea market booth, and taking long‑awaited trips together.

Then everything changed.

At first, Sherry thought she had a typical case of strep throat, but it wasn't improving. When doctors ran additional tests, they discovered alarmingly low platelet counts. The diagnosis followed quickly: stage four lymphoma.

From that moment on, blood transfusions became essential to Sherry. She quickly lost track of how many transfusions she received — platelets, packed red cells, and whole blood — from different donors each time.

There were moments when her need for blood became especially urgent, like when the hospital's blood supply was running low. A nurse once explained the reality of the situation they were facing, saying, “You need blood, but unless you’re actively bleeding, we can’t justify it. Our supply is low.”

As a former blood donor and nurse, she already knew blood donations were important, but in that moment, the fragility of the blood supply became real for Sherry. The care she needed depended entirely on whether blood was donated and available.

“I can’t walk into a store, go down aisle five, and buy 10 units,” she said.

Every transfusion came from someone — a stranger who chose to give without knowing who might need it. That level of generosity still leaves her searching for words.

“There’s no way I can adequately thank you,” she said. “It made the difference between living and not.”

Sherry’s journey isn’t over. She says she will probably need blood for the rest of her life. But for now, she'll continue to spend time with her family, watch her grandchildren grow, and make the most of the days she’s been given — all things made possible by the generosity of people who chose to donate. ❤️

#DonateBlood #GiveBlood #DonatePlatelets #DonateBloodSaveLives #GiveBloodSaveLives

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## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

giveblood, donateblood, donatebloodsavelives, givebloodsavelives, donateplatelets

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