Three-month-old Manitoba recipient inspires local miracle workers
For patients in need of blood products, the act of blood donation is a ‘miracle’ and blood donors are ‘miracle workers’. This week, Canadian Blood Services launched its annual “Holiday Miracle” campaign (Dec. 2, 2013 – Jan. 4, 2014) and is counting on Canadians to help meet patient need by collecting 75,000 blood donations nationally – including more than 5,700 donations in Manitoba.
August 23, 2013 was a big day for Bailey Paige Phillips. It was the day she was born, the day she received her first blood transfusion and also the day she was airlifted from Brandon to Winnipeg for urgent care. Bailey was exposed to congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) in utero. CMV is a common virus; however prior to her pregnancy with Bailey, Kristen Phillips had not come in contact with CMV. That meant her body was unable to fight off the virus before it could affect her unborn child. At just three-months-old, Bailey has already received 40 transfusions and currently needs a transfusion every three days. It is expected she will stay in hospital for the next four months.
Today, employees from Winnipeg-based Epic Information Solutions—including Bailey’s great aunt Michele Stanick—connected with Kristen and Bailey via video conference to have a unique opportunity to meet the baby girl who has inspired their organization to give a miracle to patients like Bailey this holiday season. About 45 employees participated in the live web chat. The organization will make a group blood donation in honour of Bailey later this month.
“Christmas Day will be Bailey’s 125th day of life. While Bailey’s first Christmas will be in the hospital, one day we will tell her how many people gave a miracle for her this year,” says Kristen Phillips. “Bailey needs you so she can fight this virus and come home.”
“Holiday miracles do exist,” says Canadian Blood Services Communications Specialist Adrienne Silver. “The generosity of one stranger to another in our clinics often means helping to save a life.”
To be a patient’s Holiday Miracle, please:
- Call 1 888 2 Donate (1-888-236-283) or go online at www.blood.ca to book an appointment to donate blood.
- Give in honour of Bailey or someone close to you by encouraging your workplace to “Adopt a Recipient” and as a group give the number of donations that one patient may need. For example, it can take eight donations a week to treat one person with Leukemia, rally eight of your friends and colleagues to make a group donation.
