Growing up with sickle cell disease wasn’t easy for James. Throughout his childhood, he experienced pain, infections, surgeries and countless hospitalizations. He missed a lot of school, couldn’t spend as much time with his friends, and even spent birthdays and holidays in a hospital bed. “But no matter how difficult it got or how bad the pain was, the one thing that I could count on to help me recover quickly and bounce back was a blood transfusion,” he says.

James was young when he received his first transfusion and wasn’t sure what to expect. But as an adult, blood transfusions have become old hat—and something he relies on to treat his disease. “The reason donating blood is important to me is because it has allowed me to have a better quality of life and kept me out of the hospital,” he says. “With the help of blood transfusions, I have been able to stay healthy, maintain a career in the medical field, and do more of the things I love, like traveling, spending time with family and friends, and rooting on my favorite basketball team, the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Thank you, blood donors. You are true heroes.”

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.