PORTLAND, Maine — In just a couple of weeks, NEWS CENTER Maine will be holding its annual blood drive at American Red Cross donation centers across the state. It's blood drives like these that save lives, Raymond Poulin says, including his own.
Poulin fell ill in 2013, but he thought it was just the common cold or flu. After a few blood tests, doctors told him he had sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection, which turned into septic shock. He experienced organ failure and was induced into a coma.
He said his liver hemorrhaged while he was in a coma, and he was in need of a significant amount of blood. Doctors gave him less than a 10 percent chance to live. He underwent emergency surgery, where he was given 77 units of blood.
"If the units weren’t there when I needed it, I wouldn't be here today," Poulin said. "I'm living proof that blood donations save lives."
He had a long journey to recovery, needing to learn how to walk again and about a monthlong hospital stay. However, that near-death experience ignited a purpose to help others.
Poulin spent the next six years organizing his own blood drives with the help of his family. The goal was to donate 77 units to give someone else the same chance at life that he was awarded.
"My wife and I knew we wanted to give back," he said. "It's so important to give others the same chance that I had. Every day’s a gift."
His blood drives generated more than 800 units, more than 10 times his goal. But he didn't quite feel fulfilled.
"I always knew in my heart that one day I wanted to work for the Red Cross," Poulin said.
More than a decade after his near-death encounter, that idea came to fruition. He started working at the American Red Cross six months ago as Northern New England's district manager for donor recruitment.
"To be working at the Red Cross is almost like a dream come true. Again, working for the company that was part of saving my life a decade ago, it’s just an amazing feeling," he said.
Poulin now oversees all of the blood drives in the state of Maine.
"I not only understand the mission, I’ve lived the mission. If it weren’t for the amazing blood donors out there, again, I wouldn’t be here. I can't thank you [the donors] enough from the bottom of my heart," Poulin said.
NEWS CENTER Maine is joining the Red Cross on March 27 to help Mainers in need. Click here to learn more information.