Donated blood helps 7-year-old girl in Commerce Township

Red Cross says more donors needed

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – It only takes a moment -- an accident or a stunning diagnosis -- to bring home the true value of donated blood.

For the Van Benschoten family of Commerce Township, it happened last April.

Sarah is the youngest of three girls in the family.

She's an energetic and independent 7-year-old who likes to have fun. A few of her favorite activities?

"Playing on playgrounds and swimming in the pool and doing gymnastics," said Sarah.

She's also a race car driver, competing in Quarter Midget races.

Sarah was always very healthy, but during a family trip last spring, her parents noticed something unusual.

"We went to Ireland over spring break to visit our family there," said Caitlin Cashin, Sarah's mother.  "And we noticed that she seemed to be bruising a lot, and the bruises were particularly dark in color."

When they got home, they saw their pediatrician, who ordered blood work.

"The pediatrician called and said, 'It looks like she may have a bone marrow disorder.' And that was April 24," Cashin said.

They went to the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, in Ann Arbor.

"Her blood levels were all critically low," Cashin said.

Sarah needed an immediate transfusion and was ultimately diagnosed with aplastic anemia. It's a condition that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells. It leaves you at risk for infections and uncontrolled bleeding.

"It's very surreal because you hear about Mott Children's Hospital and St. Jude's, and you're always supportive of those causes, but you never think you'll be there with your own child," Cashin said. "From April to now, we've been to Mott at least once a week, and most weeks she's needed a transfusion of platelets."

Platelets are the part of blood that help form clots and stop bleeding. But platelets must be used within five days of being donated, so donors are constantly needed.

In addition to weekly transfusions of platelets, Sarah also gets a monthly transfusion of red blood cells.

"Visiting Mott so often and seeing all the patients and all the blood, it's incredible," Cashin said. "When they match the blood for her, they always say (the) donor number, and you say, 'Thank God for that person.'"

Doctors are still trying to determine the best treatment for Sarah. That could eventually include medication or perhaps someday, a bone marrow transplant. In the meantime, those regular transfusions are critical.

Sarah's parents had donated blood occasionally in the past, but they have a new perspective on the importance of giving regularly.

"If Sarah wasn't able to get platelets on that regular frequency, her lifestyle would be significantly different because the risk of her having a head injury or just a bleed, a simple cut that could bleed out. We would have to have her wrapped in cotton all day long," said Matt Van Benschoten, Sarah's father. "She can swim, and she can play and she can do all the normal things."

"I'm not a big fan of needles, myself. I think it's worth it when you see the result and see a child running that otherwise would not be," Cashin said.

For Sarah, it means heading off to second grade feeling strong. What would she say to all of those donors?

"Thank you for giving me blood so I can get better," she said.

Right now, the American Red Cross says donated blood is going out to hospitals almost as fast as it is coming in. They really need extra donors to come out and give to meet the needs of patients like Sarah and so many others.

To donate at a local Gardner-White store on Thursday, click here.

To make an appointment for another time, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or click here.