(Over 235 blood transfusions) My name is Mia McPoland. I am now 19 years old! I was born Sep. 19, 2002. When I was going to the doctors office for my 8 week check up (really it was 6 weeks since my dad Matt got a new job and for insurance purposes my parents decided to go to the doctor earlier - this saved my life!), the nurse practitioner thought I looked a little 'pasty.' So she sent my mom to
get a blood draw done stat. When my mom got home, there were 5 messages on the answering machine saying, 'please get to the ER as fast as you can...tell the people she has a hemoglobin of 2.3!' Needless to say, we rushed there, and had an immediate blood transfusion. Actually, 2 blood transfusions. No one knew what was going on. We were visited by a hematologist/oncologist the next day - ...he said, he thought it could be something called : Diamond Blackfan Anemia but only time would tell. After 2 days in the hospital, we went back for a bone marrow aspiration. Sure enough, my bone marrow wasn't producing any red blood cells at all. After waiting a few months to make sure, that's when I was diagnosed with DBA. While I was in the hospital, they did all sorts of tests, and also found out I had Turner Syndrome as well, unrelated to the DBA. When I was about 5 months old, I started a steroid called prednisone, for some reason that helped my body to produce red blood cells for a little while. But then when I caught parvo - it shut my bone marrow system down, and I could never get on a low dose of steroids again. So now my only option is to live off of other peoples donated blood. It only lasts about 3-4 weeks...so I go into the doctors office a lot...and the best hospital there is: Cardon Children's Medical Center. I am such a pro at getting IV's now...and I also prefer to take them out myself, as well as the needles when they do a blood draw for labs. (Recently I had a surgery to put in a port, because after all these years of pokes...my veins had enough - had to take out the power port because it clotted.) It's my mission to help others along my way, because I know what it fells like to have others come along side of me when I hurt. I have 3 sisters, and none of them are a bone marrow match to me. I could have had a bone marrow transplant to cure my DBA, but I do not have a match. If you know my mom, then you know she asks people everywhere she goes if they've had a 'cheek swab' for Be the Match. I just want to say thank you to all my family and friends who support me with love and kindness, and to God for always being with me, and a very big thank you to every single person, even strangers who take the time out of their day to donate blood. I am living proof that if it weren't for you, I would not be here today. Thank you so much for giving me the gift of LIFE!
- Currently have had over 235 blood transfusions
