GRAY, Maine — Rachel Adams can sit on the floor and play with her young daughter because a lot of people cared enough to donate blood. A great many donors, in fact.
Stricken with a very rare form of cancer shortly after she was born, the infant underwent a year-and-a-half of treatments, requiring 298 blood transfusions, she said.
Finally, a new treatment at the Mayo Clinic and a generous bone marrow donor saved her young life.
“It wasn’t until 1994 that they determined a cure through a bone marrow transplant. I was the fourth one to ever survive,” Adams said.
Adams was able to grow and thrive. She became a sixth-grade science teacher and then became a wife when she married a childhood friend.
Then came a second miracle. Despite years of being told Adams could never have children, she and her husband, Colby Adams, got a big surprise.
“Seven years in, I went to the doctor because I hadn’t been feeling well. And they were like, 'You’re pregnant.' And both of us were shocked out of our minds! It was awesome!” she said.
But Rachel Adams needed two more transfusions after the birth, bringing her lifetime total, she said, to 300.
Her father, Ron Miller, said he's grateful for all those who donated.
“Every time someone donates, it's saving up to three lives, people like my daughter and granddaughter. And people like me and others who may need it at times. Try to put a face in your mind when you think about it,” Miller said.
And for all those who think about donating blood but don’t, Rachel Adams has a message.
“I can’t ever say thank you enough to the people who gave blood to save my life, complete strangers. I think when people think about giving blood, they don’t get to see that part. They think, oh an hour out of [their] day, and they don’t realize that short amount of time can give someone a lifetime."