I was born and raised in Connecticut. I moved to Buffalo in 2016 for a new job and have loved it here ever since! My hobbies include playing video games, reading, and swimming in the summer.
I’m a whole blood donor, and what keeps me coming back to donate is simple - I’m a blood recipient myself. I was born several months before my due date and needed an immediate transfusion upon being born. The doctors didn’t expect me to make it, but my skin went from blue to pink in an instant. I’m alive today because a kind stranger took an hour out of their day to donate blood. So, I’m just paying it forward!
My biggest cheerleaders are my partner, Josh (who always donates with me, and he’s donated way more than I have!), and my three younger sisters.
The biggest thing I would like for people to know about donating blood is just how easy it is. There’s a lot of misconceptions out there about eligibility, pain, etc.; so many people don’t know that a standard whole blood donation appointment is only about an hour, and the actual donation itself is less than 10 minutes (my very first donation, it took only four minutes to fill the bag!)
I recommend to everyone who is nervous about it to bring a friend or family member with them for support. They can even watch someone donate first, to see how easy it is!
Has Ashley's story inspired you to share your own? Submit your story to be our next hero highlighted as our Blood Donor Highlight here: https://www.connectlife.org/blood-donor-highlight