In August 2016, at age 31, Renee Hill received a diagnosis that stopped her world: Stage IV mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix. Her doctors predicted a 50 percent chance of survival.
What followed was chemotherapy, a complex surgery, and a lengthy hospital stay that tested every ounce of her strength. She also needed many blood transfusions during her recovery from surgery, providing the strength to keep going through the hardest days of her cancer fight.
Renee survived and fought her way back to health. Today, she’s the Senior Manager of Research Administration at Versiti Blood Research Institute (VBRI), where she helps advance the very blood health mission that saved her.
"It never crossed my mind that I would be able to try donating blood again," Renee says. She had attempted to donate blood as a high school and college student, and later as an adult, but each time she didn’t quite meet the eligibility requirements. After her cancer battle, she hesitated to try again. "I honestly didn't think I was eligible,” she says.
But when she saw that VBRI was hosting a blood drive on Jan. 20, the nine-year anniversary of her life-saving surgery, the timing felt too perfect to let the opportunity pass by. She consulted her doctor, who gave her approval to try, noting there was no reason Renee couldn’t donate.
On the day of the blood drive, Renee found she did indeed meet the eligibility requirements. Afterwards, she said the simplicity and quickness of the blood donation process surprised her. "All of a sudden, they said 'OK, you're done,' and that was it,” she says.
"There are always a lot of emotions on that day," Renee says of her surgery anniversary."I mostly held it together at work, but as I was leaving, the full circle moment really hit me, thinking about how blood donations saved my life and now being able to give that back.”
Renee's gift will help save up to three lives. Her donation now carries her hope forward, providing strength on someone else's hardest day. We are grateful to every donor who gives this lifesaving gift. And we are especially grateful when one of our own transforms her survival into someone else's second chance.
Visit Versiti.org to schedule your own blood donation appointment.
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.