Yesterday was World Blood Donor Day, and I have a message for someone who is very special to me, yet someone I have never met. Someone who has no idea I exist.

But to you, special person, you magnificent soul, you amazing person, thank you.

Thank you for saving my baby’s life.

Thank you for taking the time to donate your blood, your being, part of your body. Thank you for not being too squeamish, too scared, too busy, or too important.

Thank you for giving me back my daughter.

You didn’t know when you donated blood what would happen. You might not have even thought about where it might go.

But the blood you donated went to a teeny baby, MY teeny baby. My two pound little nugget who was struggling to survive,  who needed your help to live. And you gave her the help she needed and kept my family whole.

You’re probably not aware of how special you are to me, to my family. I don’t know what you do or where you live. I don’t know if you have a family of your own. But I know one thing; you’re amazing. You kept my daughter here, where I can hold her, watch her grow, listen to her laugh. You did that. Without you and others like you, so many more of us would know insufferable loss.

Thank you, kind soul for saving my daughter, and in turn, saving me.

Ella, day two in the NICU before receiving her donation

Ella, 17 months later