Daxton LaRue was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2016 at just 5 years old and has spent more than half his life battling the disease. “He doesn’t remember a time when he didn’t have leukemia,” says his mom, Angela.

Throughout the course of his treatment, Daxton received 35 blood and 40 platelet transfusions that helped him overcome infections, neurological issues and other side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

“As he got older, he realized that getting red blood cells was a good feeling—he would feel much better,” Angela said. “He knew his body well enough that he could tell me if he felt bad enough to get a transfusion. He knew what to look for.”

Daxton entered the maintenance phase of treatment in 2020 and was declared cancer-free in January 2021. Angela is grateful to all the donors who played a part in saving his life.

“Anybody who has donated, even once or twice, could’ve been the one to save my kid’s life,” she says. “Without the immediate platelet transfusions that they literally had to squeeze into him, he would’ve died.”

Now, she encourages others to give the gift of life to help other kids like Daxton. “One simple hour of blood donation is absolutely worth it.”

People need people, make a difference in someone’s life by donating blood.

We must rely on each other for the gift of blood, and patients in your community rely on the generosity of Versiti’s blood donors to help. Please consider scheduling an appointment to donate. If this is your first time, donating blood is quick, easy and relatively painless. And, it is a great way to give back and help patients in your community.