Bay Area mom, saved with blood donations, urges others to give
SAN FRANCISCO - When Emily Peters grabs her laptop and scrolls through her life, she can't help but smile when she finds photos of herself six years ago.
"I was one of those really annoying people that really like being pregnant," said Peters with a laugh. "I loved it, I loved being huge, and taking up tons of space, and having this sidekick with me."
On August 2nd, 2016, she gave birth to a perfect eight-pound girl named Lucy. But the joy quickly turned into something dark.
"Everything was going super smoothly until it wasn't, and everything came crashing down," said Peters. "And then I blacked out, and that is the last thing I remember."
Peters was bleeding to death. She had suffered an arterial bleed during delivery, and was in a full-on DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation). During the next six hours, doctors and staff had to give her 32 units of blood, equal to all the blood in her body nine times over.
Miraculously, she survived. Peters's life was saved thanks to 32 strangers who had donated blood. A year later, she was able to meet some of the donors, and thank them in person during a reunion at UCSF in 2018.
"It so powerful emotionally to see these people who saved my life, who had no idea they saved my life," she said.
Kathy Schutt, was one of those donors. For 34 years, Schutt had donated blood every eight weeks, giving more than 10 gallons during her lifetime.
For Schutt, it was emotional to put a face to her donation, a donation that saved a life.
"I think everybody cried, I cried," said Schutt. "I just wanted to see somebody and to know I made a difference with somebody, and it was nice to experience that."
Today, Peters travels the world sharing her story to show others the importance of donating blood. She has also become a donor herself.
"The very first day I was able to give blood, which is a year after you receive blood, I went into the blood bank and gave my first donation," said Peters. "It was such an emotional experience my daughter came with me; so did my husband."
Lucy is now six years old. A happy family of three, thanks to the gift of life from strangers.
"There are a lot of women who go through this situation, and they don't have that happy ending picture, they don't have the photo of the family being reunited. It makes me grateful," Peters said.
CBS News Bay Area is backing community blood drives taking place on Wednesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 19
Wednesday, January 18
San Rafael - Marin Bible Church Gym, 10 Sequoia Road, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Emeryville - Bay Street Shopping Center (empty available storefront) 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
San Francisco - new Vitalant donation center at 555 Buckingham near Stonestown Galleria
Thursday, January 19
Redwood City - Sequoia YMCA, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Dublin, Hacienda Crossings Shopping Center, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
San Francisco - new Vitalant donation center at 555 Buckingham near Stonestown Galleria
More information can be found by visiting www.vitalant.org.