YADKIN COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — At just nine years old, Jacob Shore has had 176 blood transfusions.
He was born with a rare form of anemia, and blood donations have allowed him to lead a pretty normal life, but there's a nationwide shortage of blood.
From sports to scouts, Jacob stays busy. His Grandma and Mom say that he's truly one in a million.
"We actually almost lost him the day he was born because he was so sick," his mom, April, said.
Jacob has a rare blood disorder called Diamond Backfan Anemia, which means his bone marrow doesn't produce red blood cells. This disorder impacts about five in a million people. Making him even rarer is that his body doesn't produce white blood cells either.
Every few weeks, he visits Brenner Children's Hospital to get blood transfusions.. which keep him alive. Due to his condition, he'll need them indefinitely. But due to a nationwide blood shortage... Jacob can't get as much as he needs.
"Every time he doesn't get enough blood, it affects him. You know, it's hard to learn, it's hard to function when you don't have the right amount of hemoglobin, you know, so it makes it tougher on him. And that's happened quite frequently the last couple of years."
It leaves his mom feeling helpless, but not hopeless. There's always something people can do to help.
"Blood is not something they can make in a lab. It is something that we rely on people to give. A lot of people don't have the money to give, but it doesn't cost money to give blood. It's a free thing that you can do yourself," April said.
They donate blood themselves and have organized several blood drives benefitting the American Red Cross as a way to pay it forward. They're hoping Jacob's story inspires others to give blood, the way that Jacob inspires them to live their lives to the fullest every day.
"It just made me not take life for granted anymore just because you don't know what tomorrow will hold. I try to enjoy the moment. I try to hold onto it as a memory."
While some patients with this disorder respond to steroid treatments, Jacob did not. The only cure is currently a stem cell transplant, but he doesn't have a family match, so he will continue to get transfusions every two to three weeks for the rest of his life.
To learn more about donating blood, click here.
0 Comments