A mother's story of gratitude and giving after blood donation saved her life

 By Dan Dowling, regional communications manager

“I get to be here to raise my kids and be a wife because of a random stranger that donated blood. That's powerful stuff.”

Alexis Harrington experienced a severe postpartum hemorrhage after delivering her twins in November 2022. The Hooksett, New Hampshire mom, required a Jada device, designed to rapidly treat postpartum hemorrhage, to stop the bleeding and needed a blood transfusion to survive.

Alexis had no expectations nor a family history of twins. When she and her husband went in for their first ultrasound, they were completely unprepared for news that Alexis was carrying two babies.

From that moment on, her pregnancy shifted into high‑risk care. Alexis had weekly appointments and met regularly with a maternal fetal medicine specialist to monitor the twins. Eventually, she developed preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy-related blood pressure condition, leading to an early delivery.

After giving birth to two healthy babies, Max and Nora, Alexis was resting in her hospital room when her husband noticed she was bleeding.

“He was the one that ran and got all the nurses, and there were about 15 nurses in our room in about five seconds,” she said.

For two hours, doctors worked to stabilize her. She received a blood transfusion that same morning. Later she learned that maternal health complications, like hers, are a major driver of blood usage in hospitals. And, for Alexis, the need for blood was already deeply personal.

Long before Alexis became a blood recipient herself, blood donation was woven into her family’s story. Her father had been a long-time donor, giving blood for years. When he was diagnosed with cancer, Alexis saw firsthand how essential blood products were to his treatment.

“I had been giving blood a couple years before because my dad went through cancer treatment. When my dad was diagnosed, I started giving blood a little bit more often,” she said.

Around the same time, Alexis and her community suffered the loss of a close family friend. In her honor, Alexis and a group of friends began donating platelets together, which became a ritual of remembrance and service.

Today, Alexis channels her gratitude into action. She recently co‑hosted a blood drive at Southern New Hampshire University, where she works. The drive exceeded its goal, collecting 40 units of lifesaving blood.

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion – blood that can only come from a healthy, volunteer donor. Although 62% of Americans are eligible to donate, only 3% do. Many simply don’t realize how great the need is, or how many patients, from trauma victims and cancer patients to new mothers, depend on blood transfusions every day.

“People need blood. You never know when they're going to need it and taking that time to donate can save a life,” she said.

Since she works at a university, Alexis is committed to making blood donations more approachable for young people. She walks students through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, showing them how RapidPass speeds up check‑in and how the app tracks where and how their donation makes a difference.

“They thought that was so cool that they could see actually where their blood was going,” she said.

 

To help ease any concerns, Alexis encourages donors to prepare by staying hydrated, eating before their appointment, and learning what to expect during the process. As more blood drives are scheduled for next spring, she hopes to further strengthen a spirit of generosity and service throughout the campus community.

Her story is a reminder that we never know when the unexpected may happen – and blood donors truly have the power to give a stranger a second chance. Someone’s selfless blood donation is the reason she's alive and the reason she can raise Max and Nora today. Her advocacy continues that cycle of generosity, one donation at a time.

“We have a ton of family members that now give blood because of my dad and the kids,” she said. “I get to be here because someone chose to donate.”

Make an appointment to give blood or platelets now and help save a life. Visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1‑800‑RED CROSS or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App to schedule a donation appointment.