Kati Santee’s journey with blood donation began when a college friend was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and reached out to friends, encouraging them to donate blood. Not long after, Kati and her family were going through the process of an international adoption and received a profile for a little girl who was dependent on blood transfusions.

“This was coming full circle—this was something new to me, the importance of blood donations, and now a child with a hematological condition,” Kati says. The Santee family soon adopted the little girl, LiLi, from China. After she arrived in the U.S., LiLi was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia, a condition in which her bone marrow does not produce red blood cells.

“We quickly realized that she needed a blood transfusion every 14-21 days,” Kati says. “It became our mission, because we saw how donors were sustaining her life.” Since then, the Santee family and their friends have started a movement to encourage others to donate blood. “We are grateful, thankful and fortunate, and believe in Versiti’s mission that rallies people around blood donation,” she says.

LiLi received frequent blood transfusions for three years before receiving a bone marrow transplant and hasn’t needed a transfusion since. “LiLi is one of the most resilient little kids I have ever come across,” Kati says. “It’s been a tumultuous journey, but we’re on the other side of it now. She’s doing great.”

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.