Woman receives 300 blood transfusions now pleads for donations

By Allison Ross

Click here for updates on this story

    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — WMTW is teaming up with the American Red Cross for a blood drive Friday.

Rachel Adams is asking everyone who is eligible to step up and donate blood Friday.

During the course of her life, Adams has received 300 blood transfusions.

She had over 290 blood transfusions at birth and then another two transfusions after giving birth to her daughter.

“We were told I would probably never walk, talk, learn, let alone have a baby of my own someday, so it was a year of being devastated left and right and so this little bundle is a miracle, so we are very surprised and very happy,” Adams said.

Adams was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder when she was born.

“Around my first birthday, that is when things started going south and I ended up needing 290 blood transfusions and a bone marrow transplant,” Adams said.

As horrible as it was, Adams is glad she was so young.

“It is really a blessing in disguise that I was so young because I don’t remember anything, but just the idea of my parents and what they had to go through and see and just everything they had to hear,” Adams said.

With the short supply of blood, plasma and platelets, she is now urging everyone who is eligible to donate.

“It’s hard when people donate because they don’t see a story along with it and it feels very faceless, but that is further from the truth because it really does change lives,” Adams said.

The drive is happening in Portland at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. There are still appointments available.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.