Wife’s illness prompts volunteer to donate blood every chance he gets

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Donating blood can seem scary at first especially if you’ve never done it before, but one volunteer shared why those fears quickly wash away especially if it’s to help save a loved one.

Aaron Wescott said he started donating blood years ago, but it wasn’t until doctors diagnosed his wife Cheryl with Acute Myeloid Leukemia that he noticed the short supply of blood and the importance of donating platelets.

Many patients like Wescott’s wife need platelets to undergo treatment. According to the American Red Cross, those platelets need to be used within five days of being donated, so there is always a need for more.

Wescott said he started donating as much as he could but wanted to get involved even more after his wife lost her nearly four-month battle with leukemia and passed away.

“I had retired and didn’t really know what I was going to do with my life without her. I went into the Wilmington donation center to give blood and just asked a volunteer, how do you become a volunteer? By the end of December, I was a full-fledged volunteer and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Wescott.

Wescott started volunteering with the American Red Cross and soon became a workforce leader.

He trains volunteers across four different counties including Horry County and fills in wherever he’s needed.

Wescott said he rolls up his sleeve every chance he gets to donate.

“In scripture, it says that we should give our life for our brother. This is what you’re doing when you’re giving blood. You’re giving life to your brother. People don’t realize unless you’ve been in a situation where you need blood, you don’t realize how important it is,” said Wescott.

You can join Wescott in helping those in need by visiting one of the WMBF News Blood Drives in partnership with the American Red Cross.

The blood drives are Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Coastal Grand Mall and Magnolia Mall in Florence.

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