MONCTON – A young Moncton girl is sharing her story about how blood transfusions helped her conquer cancer in the hopes of encouraging others to donate blood.
Fifteen-year-old Erin Mahoney was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. Her diagnosis led to five months of intense treatment at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.
She said the chemotherapy was hard on her system but it was blood transfusions that helped her to keep her strength.
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“When you’re battling cancer your immune system is completely wiped out and all blood counts are down so getting blood transfusions helps your immune system,” she said. “You don’t realize it takes a lot of blood donors just for one patient and I had so many blood transfusions.”
Thanks to her treatment, Mahoney has been cancer-free since 2014. Canadian Blood Services says it takes a five donors to help one child battling cancer.
Tuesday, she thanked donors at Canadian Blood Services in Moncton for their support. Her visit was part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Donors like Margaret Williamson have given blood over 100 times and she says she plans to keep giving.
“I have family members battling with cancer and I just know friends and family will need these donations and it’s just important to do this,” she said.
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