Owensboro Family to Host Baby’s 1st Birthday Blood Drive For WKRBC

A year ago this week, local mother, Joelle Boarman Hagan gave birth to her son Dean. Things very quickly took a turn for the worse.

Childbirth and Blood Loss

Joelle developed something called HELPP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) Syndrome.  Very similar to the condition Pre-eclampsia, it can develop towards the end of pregnancy or right after giving birth. Healthcare providers aren't sure what causes it, and it can cause some very serious issues with the liver, blood pressure, and loss of blood. According to Yale Medicine, it is a pretty rare condition affecting less than 1% of pregnancies. Post-Partum Hemorrhage is slightly more common at 5%.

One Blood Donation Equals Three Blood Products

Joelle received 54 blood products when she was in the hospital. When you consider that each time a donor gives, it creates three different products, that means that 18 people are responsible for her life. Baby Dean still has his mama because of those 18 generous donors. Here is the post that Joelle's family and the Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center shared to encourage others to join the WKRBC mission of saving lives.

Doesn't that photo give you goosebumps?! What a scary moment for their family. Through it all they continued to advocate for blood donations, and they are still paying-it-forward by planning a blood drive for Baby Dean's First Birthday.

This Friday,  May 3rd, from 10 am to 4 pm at Family Medical Practice 6071 Highway 54 you can stop by and give Dean the best present anyone could ask for. The gift of life for others in our community.

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