A Nurse’s Life of Service, Made Possible by Resilience and Generous Blood Donors

By Emma Fermo, Red Cross writer

For Deb Camejo of Plymouth, New Hampshire, the need for blood was not just abstract; it was personal. Twice in her life, blood transfusions, given by strangers she will never meet, have kept her alive.

Deb Camejo, blood recipient

“I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the American Red Cross, and for that blood. I completely expected to die that night.”

Debbie is a registered nurse with 48 years of experience, the majority dedicated to labor and delivery and Obstetrics, the same ward where she nearly lost her life. The first time Debbie recalls needing blood was in 1980, after a postpartum hemorrhage following the birth of her first child. 

After receiving two units of blood, Debbie returned home with her beautiful son and recovered. 

The second time, Debbie says, was far more critical. 

Nearly 11 years later, in 1991, six and a half months pregnant, Debbie suffered a complete placental abruption at home, without warning. It’s a life-threatening obstetric emergency where the placenta fully detaches from the uterine wall before birth, cutting off oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, while causing severe material bleeding. It requires immediate delivery due to the high risks for stillbirth and maternal hemorrhage. Debbie drove herself to the hospital. She was battling for her life.

An emergency C-section under general anesthesia. Five units of whole blood. Internal hemorrhaging, and a diagnosis of DIC – disseminated intravascular coagulation – a condition that prevented her blood from clotting. Debbie received five units of blood and then, to stop the bleeding, had 12 pools of cryoprecipitate – a frozen, plasma-derived blood product – transfused into her body.

“I felt myself fading,” she says. “I knew it was dire... and I came very, very close to death.”

Through the commitment of others to give back to their community, to donate blood to people they will never know, Debbie survived. Her family remained whole. 

Debbie's experience shaped everything that came after. Unable to donate blood herself due to medical conditions, she instead became a Red Cross volunteer in the 1990s, training as a CPR instructor and babysitter safety instructor. 

“I always wanted to give back,” she says, “I just had to find a different way.”

Today, Debbie’s service extends beyond the clinic. After retiring to Plymouth, New Hampshire, in 2017 with her husband, she became a licensed ham radio operator – a pursuit she adopted from her Eagle Scout husband. Her RN license and ham radio certification make her an invaluable asset at community events across the state. 

“I’m pretty busy,” she says. 

Debbie staffs first aid tents at Mount Washington road races while simultaneously relaying medical communications. She covers the New Hampshire Marathon, where poor cell service makes her skills essential. Debbie has also found herself at the forefront of the first aid tent at the Squam Lake Ridge Run too. And during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was wrapped in layers upon layers in the New Hampshire winters vaccinating hundreds of people a day. 

She is also a member of her local CERT - Community Emergency Response Team, and practices HAM radio emergency communications weekly with Central New Hampshire ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services.)

As a nurse, Debbie understood the need for blood long before her own emergencies. She has volunteered at blood drives. She has seen the donors walk in, roll up their sleeves, and give.

And she has been on the other side of their gift, in the most profound way possible.

I've often thought it would be neat to meet them and thank them,” she says about the donors whose blood saved her life. “Just to let them know that they did something.”

To anyone who has never donated or isn’t sure if they should, Debbie’s message is simple: “It is a really easy process,” she says, “It's just a small amount of your time that can save somebody else's life.”

Debbie would know.

Debbie’s passion for helping others navigate the healthcare system led Debbie to write her first book, A Prescription for Your Healthcare Survival, a story that began as a way to process the difficult medial experiences of others into something larger: a 369-page guide aimed at empowering patients to advocate for themselves. 

“I’m passionate about the field of medicine,” she says. “I just wanted to flip the script and make something positive out of it.”

Just as many did for her. 

Ready to give back? Eligible individuals are encouraged to schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).