LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville mother's life has come full circle as the Kentucky Blood Center gears up for a summer blood drive.
In 2004, Melissa Crittenden gave birth to Erin, her second child. Melissa almost bled to death after complications arose during and after labor and she ended up receiving more than a dozen units of blood, which saved her life.
Eighteen years later she was able to watch her daughter — a valedictorian at Fern Creek High and future Centre College student — walk across the stage at her high school graduation in May 2022. Melissa now works with Kentucky Blood Center to coordinate blood drives at her work and is an advocate for blood donation.
According to the America’s Blood Centers, one in 83 infant deliveries require a blood transfusion.
"It was a very proud moment, to think how far we've come and how lucky I am to have been sitting there watching her walk across the stage," Melissa Crittenden, a blood donation recipient, said. "You do it for yourself, you know, to feel good, but you do it to save someone's life. And it's such a small thing that you can do that has such a huge impact."
In hopes of getting more people to donate, the Kentucky Blood Center is holding its Summer Getaway Giveaway.
Those who donate through July 4 will be entered to win a Jamaican vacation. If you donate through Sept. 10, you'll be entered to win a 2022 Toyota RAV4.
The Bloodmobile will be at WDRB on Wednesday. Donations can also be made at the Middletown Donor Center or the Hillview Donor Center.
You can book an appointment to give blood here.
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