Versiti - Sarah Gross | Impact Stories
 

Sarah Gross

“I’m so grateful for the rare donor program.”

Sarah Gross

One in 75,000—that’s how rare Sarah’s blood type is.

Sarah was “completely unaware” of her extremely rare blood type—O negative and Vel-negative, meaning she lacks a specific antigen on the surface of her red blood cells—until she began treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in December 2017.

As part of her treatment, Sarah received multiple blood transfusions from rare donors and a lifesaving bone marrow transplant that helped her beat cancer. “I’m so grateful for the rare donor program,” she says.


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.

Impact Stories | Blood Donation

 
Misty Welch
Versiti Blood Center of Indiana’s Misty Welch had always wanted a son and when she was expecting a baby boy, it was a dream come true. However, their dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Read her story.
 
Elodie Ontala
Born with sickle cell disease, Elodie has stayed strong and active thanks to the generosity of blood donors.
 
Mariah Roberts
Mariah is one of nearly 100,000 Americans who suffer from this life-threatening disease. Thanks to blood donors, she has a bright future ahead.
 
Whole Blood Donation
Volunteer to donate blood at a blood donation center near you. Find out how often you can donate blood and make an appointment to donate today.
 
Rare and Uncommon Blood Types
Learn about rare and uncommon blood types, including the correlation between blood type and ethnicity and what blood types help patients with sickle cell.
 
Share Your Story
Versiti invites you to share your story and photo to help encourage more people to give back. You may even be featured throughout the year on our social media.
 
Impact Stories
Your blood, organ and tissue, and other donations directly impact lives in your community. Read a few of the examples of some of the lives that have been changed for the better.