By the time most kids his age started elementary school, Jaxson Amyotte had survived three cases of leukemia, hundreds of blood transfusions and undergone a bone marrow transplant.
Yesterday, the seven-year-old handed out hand-made cards at the Oak Street blood donor clinic to thank donors for their gift of blood and platelets, which helped save his life.
“There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jaxson would not be here today if not for the countless transfusions of red blood cells and platelets he received during his treatments,” said his mother, Jill Amyotte.
“I really am speechless. Those (donors) are angels.”
Jaxson’s visit kicked off a month-long blood drive at the Oak Street blood donor clinic.
Throughout the month, B.C. patients will need blood from more than 12,000 donors.
Amyotte added that donating isn’t just for cancer patients, but for accident victims and new mothers.
“There’s a great need all the time, and … the people who do come out here maybe don’t understand that they really are saving lives,” she said, adding that she hadn’t thought of giving blood until Jaxson became sick.
“You never know who’s going to need it. It’s something life saving we can do that doesn’t cost us anything.”
