# @americanredcross on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CxtMrtegTh9
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/72591490-americanredcross-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/0693b9804d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-09-27T19:00:29.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Red Cross (@americanredcross) — https://gondola.cc/americanredcross

## Caption

One month after he turned 3 years old, Dominic was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“Leukemia is brutal and long,” his mother Lara said. “He’s still in active treatment, he is on day 695. Our projected end of treatment date should be in January, so we still have a ways to go.”

Blood transfusions have helped him through his treatment for cancer so far, during times when chemotherapy would cause his hemoglobin levels to drop.

“After those first couple of blood transfusions, his color came back, his energy started coming back,” Lara said. “It’s one of the few things, if not the only thing, that has such an immediate impact on how he feels.

“I remember so many times, I would sit, and I would look at that bag on his IV pole, and I would think, ‘Oh, my gosh. Somebody donated that, and that person, they don't know us. They don't know anything and they're giving us such a gift, such an amazing gift that anybody would be able to give.’ To do that for a stranger, for somebody you're never going to know, never meet — it's just amazing.”

The impact that blood donors have on patients is profound, and today, Dominic gets to celebrate his 5th birthday! 🥳 We are very grateful for all of those who continue to roll up a sleeve and give. Because of you, someone, somewhere, gets to celebrate another birthday, just like Dominic. 💛

#RedCross #DonateBlood #GiveBlood #BloodDonor #DonateBloodSaveLives #GiveBloodSaveLives #AcuteLymphoblasticLeukemia #ChildhoodCancer #PediatricCancer #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth #BeatCancer #KickCancersButt

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- **Likes:** 384
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## Tags

redcross, pediatriccancer, givebloodsavelives, childhoodcancerawarenessmonth, childhoodcancer, blooddonor, giveblood, acutelymphoblasticleukemia, donateblood, beatcancer, kickcancersbutt, donatebloodsavelives

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