ORLANDO, Fla. — When Catherine Garrett talks about blood donation, she doesn't think about blood drives or donation buses.
She thinks about the strangers she'll never meet.
"I get to be a mom. I get to be a wife. I get to be a volunteer."
After experiencing a rare amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth in 2019, Garrett underwent seven surgeries, spent nine days in a coma, suffered a stroke and received more than 100 units of blood.
Nearly seven years later, she's still working to regain parts of her previous life. She now shares her story to encourage others to donate blood, hoping more families will have the same second chance she did.
"I'm standing here today for that reason," Garrett said. "I get to be a mom. I get to be a wife. I get to be a volunteer because those people made that decision."
Garrett shared her story as AdventHealth celebrated the arrival of a second bloodmobile and a new passenger van for the AdventHealth Blood Center.
Together, they'll bring blood donation opportunities to more schools, businesses, churches and community events across Central Florida while helping Blood Center teams better serve donors throughout the region.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States needs blood or platelets every two seconds, and the nation's healthcare system relies on approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells and nearly 5,000 units of platelets every day.
For Garrett, that's more than an investment in new vehicles. It's an investment in people she'll never meet.
"Going into the communities is going to be paramount," she said. "Maybe somebody's willing to walk to the bus but can't drive, like me. It's life-changing, it's lifesaving and that's the most important part."
"People want to donate blood. They want to give the gift of life."
Every blood donation has the potential to save lives.
Those donations help patients undergoing surgery, receiving cancer treatment, recovering from traumatic injuries and facing countless other medical emergencies.
"People want to donate blood. They want to give the gift of life, and we want to help make that happen," said Linnette Johnson, senior vice president and chief clinical operations officer for AdventHealth Central Florida Division. "With a second bus, we have more opportunities to obtain this life-giving gift."
For physicians, the importance of every donation is simple: There is no substitute.
"Transfusions are a lifesaving therapy, and you cannot make them in a factory or a lab," said Dr. Victor Herrera, chief clinical officer for AdventHealth Central Florida Division. "They rely on one person wanting to give the gift of life to another person. The mobile units increase access to that gift."
"Everybody knows a mom."
The passenger van will also help eligible donors get to the AdventHealth Blood Center on Lee Road to donate platelets, a blood component the American Red Cross says is needed by patients with cancer, serious injuries, burns, transplants and heart surgery, and can only be stored for about five days.
"Platelets are a very important treatment for patients who require chronic care, especially our hematology-oncology patients," said Dr. Juliana Gaitan, medical director of the AdventHealth Blood Center. "The passenger van will make it easier for donors to reach our blood center and help us collect this critically needed product."
Because of the blood she received, Garrett says she has the chance to experience milestones she once feared she'd miss.
"I always say, because I unfortunately can't donate anymore, ask three people," she said. "Out of those three, statistically, most likely somebody will."
Her message comes from experience.
"Everybody knows a mom," Garrett said. "Get out there and donate because I know you know a mom. It will save a life."