Blood drives save lives: One woman’s story of the ultimate donation

HARLEM VALLEY — One week after the birth of her second daughter, Hillsdale’s Jennifer Wakamatsu was happily at home with her family. She had been to the doctor that very day and all was well. Then, all of a sudden, it wasn’t. With no warning at all, Wakamatsu started to hemorrhage and was rushed to the hospital.

By the time she was able to return home three days later, she had lost 50% of the blood in her body. Only the transfusion of seven pints of blood saved her life.

“If it hadn’t been for the blood,”  Wakamatsu reported, “I would not be here. I would be dead.”

Now, as a means of paying back, Wakamatsu volunteers as an American Red Cross hostess for the Hillsdale Blood drive, which will be held Tuesday, July 2, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Hillsdale firehouse, one of several being held in the area this summer. 

Wakamatsu has also put her privacy aside and posted her story on social media in order to encourage donors to take part in the life saving process. The response, she said, has been “tremendous” and noted that the past two drives with which she has been involved have brought in approximately 50 donations. 

She went public because, “It’s a traumatic experience, especially when you’re in the throes of just having had a baby and being separated from the baby, but I felt I needed to do something to make a positive out of it.”

She said of the need for blood,  “Nobody thinks it’s going to happen to them — where they’re going to need blood. But all of a sudden you’re in that position. I want people to understand it can happen to anybody.”

The first of the area summer drives will take place on Thursday, June 20, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex at 28 Century Blvd. in Millerton. Ironically, one of that event’s organizers is Wakamatsu’s sister-in-law, Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, herself a regular donor for years before her sister-in-law’s need arose.

Leo-Jameson said she makes her contributions because, “I have a semi-rare blood type and am also a universal donor, so I feel it’s my obligation since I have no medical reasons that I shouldn’t. It’s an easy way to help people.”

According to the Red Cross, each donation can save up to three lives. In addition to the Millerton and Hillsdale drives, others will be July 2, from 1 to 6 p.m., at Waubeeka Family Campground, 133 Farm Road, Copake;  Saturday, July 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main St. Salisbury, Conn; and  Friday, July 19, from 1 to 6 p.m., at Noble Horizons, 17 Cobble Road, Salisbury, Conn. 

For more information or to preregister, go to www.redcrossblood.org. Walks-ins are also accepted.