In November 2023, Logan Forler woke up with numbness in his feet. Over the next few days, the numbness progressed upwards until his entire body felt numb and weak. In December he was admitted to the hospital, where doctors conducted countless tests and diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease.

After a round of high-dose steroids failed to help the numbness and weakness Logan was experiencing, his doctor suggested trying six rounds of plasmapheresis. “The Versiti nurses took excellent care of me and walked me through every step of the process, every appointment I had,” he says. “I ended up doing another six rounds about two months later because of how well it helped my symptoms!”

Becoming a plasma recipient has caused Logan to reflect on the importance of blood donation. “During all of this, I reflected on how many blood drives [my employer] had that I never signed up for or promoted for others to come in and donate,” he says.

“I learned how important it is to donate blood so people like me are able to get the care they need as soon as possible. Now, whenever I hear of a blood drive going on, I encourage my family and friends to donate if they are able, because you never know if it could be you, your loved ones or friends who need it the most!”

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.