Jenah Bellamy

"Without an emergency transfusion, I would not be here today. My husband and children would be without me in their lives."

Jenah Bellamy gave an incredible gift to a couple from West Africa that almost cost her life.

She was a surrogate for the couple in 2012, carrying their twins when she was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital at 26 weeks for preterm labor.

After 12 weeks, the twins were born happy and healthy.

"Unfortunately after their wonderful, uncomplicated birth, I was found to have Placenta Increta," said Jenah.

This is a very serious and sometimes fatal condition where the placenta attaches into the muscle layer of the uterus and does not detach on it's own.

"While the doctor attempted to manually detach the placentas from my uterus, I began to hemorrhage," Jenah said. "A rapid infusion of whole blood was started and an emergency hysterectomy was performed to save my life."

She received three lifesaving units of blood.

At her six-week follow-up, her doctor said to her, "You do realize you nearly died?"

She had no idea.

"He had never alluded to that fact while we were in the operating room, he just put his head down, was calm, and did what he needed to do to get us out safely on the other side," she said. "But I know, he would have only been able to do so much if it hadn't been for those three units I received."

Jenah is eternally grateful for the blood donors who saved her life.

"You have no idea how invaluable your gifts have been in my life," she said. "Namely for saving it in the first place and then secondly, allowing me to go on to fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse so I can give back to people who need help just like I did."

Jenah was a blood donor before her lifesaving transfusion, and after she became healthy enough, continued to save lives through donation.

"Blood, as of yet, cannot be manufactured, so there is always a need," she stressed. "Don't ever think, 'my one pint won't make a difference,' or 'I'm too busy.' You're not too busy to save a life.

Three people who weren't too busy, or afraid of a little, tiny poke, saved my life.