PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Emmi Bradley is a little girl whose life was turned upside-down last year. Now, her mother is thanking the community after 40 blood transfusions and platelet transfusions — made possible through blood drives — saved the 5-year-old’s life.
The trouble began when mysterious bruises showed up on Emmi’s body. It led to a shocking diagnosis: severe aplastic anemia.
“It was a lot to take in. And we did not realize the road we had ahead of us,” said Stephanie Bradley, Emmi’s mom.
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Emmi’s bone marrow simply couldn’t produce enough red blood cells, her mom explained. For an entire year, the little girl’s survival hinged on transfusions every 2-3 days, thanks to volunteers from the Red Cross…