Blood Donations Help Patients Like... Austin Gatus

Volunteer blood donations gave 11-year-old Austin Gatus of El Cajon, the strength he needed while battling leukemia in 2007 in the Intensive Care Unit at Rady Children's Hospital.

Austin was diagnosed in April of 2006, and began receiving blood transfusions when needed as part of his treatment. It wasn't until June of 2007, however, when Austin was admitted to the ICU because of dangerously low blood cell counts that he and his family truly came to understand the difference that volunteer blood donors would make in his life. Austin's mom, Eva, vividly recalls how blood transfusions literally sustained her son throughout that painfully crucial time. She is now committed to making the public aware of the life saving gift that was bestowed upon her son in the hopes of motivating more people to make a difference in the lives of other patients by donating blood.

While Austin continues to receive treatment for his leukemia, he has not let cancer stop him from enjoying the things he loves, like playing the saxophone and constructing paper cranes. With the help of volunteer blood donors, Austin is able to spend more time perfecting these pursuits and less time in the hospital.

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