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In Memoriam: Ashley Terry passed away in June 2020. We honor her memory and are grateful she shared her story.
Dear blood donor,
How do you say thank you for saving someone’s life? Just the thought of trying to express my gratitude seems overwhelming. But that is what I'm attempting to do—to convey my sincere thanks for saving my daughter Ashley’s life.
Ashley is a ray of sunshine. She loves the outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and making everyone around her happy. Her very favorite thing in the world is her family—her husband and her kids, Bradley and Braelynn. Unfortunately, over the past six months, Ashley has been away from her family for far too long. In July of last year, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. And that, dear blood donor, is where you come in.
The very nature of Ashley’s disease means her blood counts are low, so she needed blood transfusions right after she was diagnosed. Chemotherapy caused her counts to drop even lower, so she needed more blood. The time I truly felt the significance of your donation, however, was when Ashley had a bone marrow transplant in November 2019. I was warned that the transplant would be rough, but nothing prepared me for what she went through. She had complications with her lungs, liver, and kidneys, spending 25 days in the ICU. As I sat by Ashley’s side, holding her hand and praying she would wake up, I watched her receive platelets constantly so her body could fight. I honestly don’t think she would still be here if it wasn’t for the blood products she received.
Ashley is still in the hospital, but thanks to blood donors like you, one day soon she will be home dancing around the house with her kids and spreading more of her sunshine into the world. For that, I am forever in your debt.
Sincerely,
Kelli
Editor's note: ARUP Blood Services provides all the blood products given to patients at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Find a donation center near you.