Stacey Sottile got the opportunity of a lifetime on Feb. 14, when she got to meet and thank several of the hundreds of blood donors who helped save her life through the New York Blood Center (NYBC).
“I got to say thank you to my blood donors, who selflessly donated so that I can be a mother, a wife and a daughter,” Sottile said.
Sottile was born and raised in Queens, and like approximately 10,000 other New Yorkers, she suffers from sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disease that affects the body’s red blood cells. Sottile was diagnosed with the condition at 11 months old and has relied on blood donors to keep her alive.
“Because of my blood donors, I have been able to live a full life, from graduating college to becoming a mom to my beautiful sons,” she said.
Sickle cell patients often need blood transfusions every few weeks and closely matched blood products to remain healthy. Donors from people of color play a significant role in finding matching blood products for patients, according to officials at NYBC, because matching blood products for sickle cell patients can often only be found in individuals with similar ethnic heritage.
Senior Vice President at NYBC Andrea Cefarelli said Sottile has been an incredible advocate for NYBC for years and has inspired people to donate by sharing her story about her fight with sickle cell disease. Sottile has dedicated her life to spreading awareness about the disease and the constant need for donors.
“I encourage all New Yorkers to donate blood so folks like me can get treatment,” Sottile said.
Cefarelli hopes that Sottile getting the opportunity to meet her donors inspires more people to sign up to donate.
“We honor Stacey and her blood donors who made these donations,” Cefarelli said. “While donations take about an hour, the impact they have are enormous.”
Visit nybc.org for more information about blood donations, center locations, blood drives, blood donation eligibility requirements, or to make an appointment to donate.
