Alfie’s journey is a powerful reminder of how critical blood donations are for saving lives. Shortly after birth, Alfie faced severe complications that required him to be placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a life-support system that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs. ECMO provided Alfie’s fragile body with the support it needed to rest and heal, but the process also demanded an immense supply of blood products to sustain him.
During his 44 days on ECMO, Alfie depended on the generosity of 80 blood donors, whose contributions became a lifeline for him. These donations provided:
- 44 units of red blood cells to deliver oxygen to his organs and tissues
- 9 units of plasma to aid in clotting and maintain critical blood volume
- 28 units of platelets to help control bleeding and promote healing.
ECMO is a last resort for patients in critical condition, and its success hinges on a steady supply of blood products. Without donors, treatments like ECMO wouldn’t be possible, and patients like Alfie wouldn’t have a fighting chance.
Today, Alfie continues to grow and thrive, reaching milestones that were once uncertain. His story is a call to action for all of us: donating blood is not just an act of kindness—it’s a chance to directly save lives.
Join us in honoring Alfie and supporting patients like him by scheduling your blood donation today. Use code ALF3 to celebrate Alfie’s inspiring recovery and make a lifesaving impact. Every donation matters.
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While Heather had always been a regular blood donor, her husband, Zach, had never considered it before this situation and had not considered the fact that blood products would be used in infants.
“He started donating right away,” Heather said. “It had a huge impact on him and made it seem even more critical knowing that it could help an infant.”
Alfie is now a busy and active 3-year-old, she said.
- Heather and Zach