When Emmi was just 3 years old, she was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that occurs when the body cannot make enough new blood cells. Every two to three days, Emmi was reliant on blood and platelet transfusions until a match was found for her to undergo a bone marrow transplant. “She was surviving on blood and platelet donations for an entire year of her life,” said Stephanie, Emmi’s mother. “From her initial appointment, she endured 72 nights in the hospital, 37 appointments that weren’t part of overnight stays, and 17 anesthesia procedures.” If Emmi got a fever, she was automatically admitted to the hospital because the aplastic anemia shut down her immune system and she had no way of fighting illnesses on her own. With every small cold she caught, she needed to spend 48 hours in the hospital receiving IV antibiotics. After going through many long and tough days at the hospital, Stephanie firmly believes that blood and platelet donations saved her daughter’s...