We are joined by a mother who understands the importance of donating blood, and Mary Cone who organizes the Ogallala/Keith County Blood Mobile (9/18-9/19).
2-year-old Brayden Kendall was diagnosed in early 2012 with Primary Immunodeficiency Disease. It is a disease in which a patient's immune system cannot respond properly to infections - the immune system basically doesn't work at all. Brayden's mother, DyAnne Smith, says a simple cold can lead to a life-threatening situation for Brayden.
DyAnne administers weekly injections of Hizentra, a product created from the plasma derived from human blood donations. Without these immune system-boosting injections, Brayden wouldn't be able to fight infection at all. Because of the injections, the toddler can run and play like most other toddlers. DyAnne admits, though, that whenever she sees/hears someone coughing or sneezing, it sparks alarm and she often whisks the boy away.
DyAnne and Brayden are both on a mission to tell people how much they appreciate their blood donations, and to put faces and names with the otherwise faceless and nameless recipients of blood donations. Their hope is to make it more personal for the public, in a way people will understand the importance.
In addition to helping young Brayden live a somewhat "normal" life, blood donations have affected DyAnne in other ways, including allowing her grandfather the ability to extend his fight with cancer.
Mary Cone, with the American Red Cross, emphasized the need for blood donations. She says after a lean year (with regards to donations) and an increased demand, blood banks are suffering. She says that means patients like Brayden, cancer patients, trauma patients, burn patients, surgery patients, and others, are at risk of not having the blood they need at the time they need it. Her plea? Give the gift of life.
American Red Cross
North Platte Donation Center
1111 South Cottonwood, North Platte NE 69101
800.RED.CROSS
AMERICAN RED CROSS WEBSITE
Ogallala/Keith County Blood Drive
Keith County Fairgrounds, Ogallala
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 8am-2pm
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 12pm-6pm
Drive Day Phone - 308.284.6952
Mary Cone - 308.284.4183
Segment 1 - John and Josh open the show: 
Segment 2 - DyAnne Smith & Mary Cone:
Segment 3 - Discussion:
Segment 4 - John and Josh close the show:
