Testimonials

God has always given me so much experience in laughing, loving, counting my blessings, finding silver linings in every cloud and making everyone I know feel blessed. He has given me a heart that knows how to bless everyone in my life. But, the week beginning March 24, 2013; I became life threateningly sick and needed blood immediately! And right away God turned the tables on me and made my sons, my family, my amazing and very skilled medical team of doctors and nurses, my son’s employers, friends, friends of friends, complete strangers, lab employees, National Blood Transfusion Service (the Blood Bank) and the porters at the hospital make me feel very richly blessed INSTEAD. YOU ALL BLESSED ME. Thank you so very much for giving of your time donating blood for me, your help made all the difference in saving my life. May God answer all your prayers and wrap His love around you.

I suddenly started hemorrhaging on the night of March 23, 2013 and was rushed to Andrews Memorial ER where I soon became much worse due to the extent of my illness, but I had a medical team par excellence in controlling my illness and keeping me alive from the ER to the ward to the operating theatre and going home. Prior to being admitted my hemoglobin level was 7.3, then fell to 6, and then fell to a level which my Doctor told me, ‘Many people aren’t usually alive to tell.’ I needed blood without delay to save my life, and the Blood Bank did not have my blood type in stock. This was serious. So an appeal was sent out publicly for blood donations by my eldest son, along with asking friends, and miraculously we received an enormous response! My son had gone downstairs to take a breather, as it was just too much for him to bear when he saw that his mother was near death; and saw a friend who happened to be at the hospital doing business at that time! When his friend heard of the situation he offered to donate immediately as he had my blood type! He became my first donor! What a miracle! My son drove with hazard lights through the thick afternoon traffic to the Blood Bank just for me to get the first unit of blood! But alas! My veins soon collapsed which made it difficult for my doctors to find at least two veins to start my transfusions, but they soon found them. Alarmingly, as I received the first 3 units of blood I was losing it. I could not see past the next 5 minutes of my life, but I held on to my Dear God. The doctors and nurses fought hard to save my life, they were EXCELLENT! They were able to bring my blood level up to a healthier level and performed emergency surgery with great success!

Altogether before, during and after surgery I received 8 units of blood and 8 units of frozen fresh plasma. I write what is in my heart in the hope that at least one person is better off for having read this. I pray that you will find encouragement and inspiration from my experience. I pray God will bless you in many ways and in every area of your life with every visit you make to the National Blood Transfusion Service island-wide to donate blood.

It has been an experience, but I am living in heartfelt gratitude. The enormous support of my blood donors has had me in awe, and the love I received was just out of this world. I got the name ‘Celebrity’ because the National Blood Transfusion Service wondered about the volume of persons coming in to donate blood for this lady; they asked, “Who is Natalie Peart-Thompson? Is she a Celebrity?” They also asked the donors in the room to all go on one side of the room who were donating blood for Natalie Peart-Thompson, and everyone went to one side and left just one person remaining on the opposite side. Yes, I am a Celebrity; I walked into the hospital a very sick lady, and became MIRACULOUSLY, and in an extraordinary way a Celebrity through blood donations. I am a Celebrity for the National Blood Transfusion Service! How could I not be? I am a Celebrity for the love and human spirit of the Jamaican people. There is the power of our people to save lives, donate today!

I am continually saying a big prayer of thanks, and gratitude that God put us all into the same little corner of His beautiful world. This little corner called Jamaica. Much, much love and Blessings to you all.

One Love, One Blood Natalie Peart-Thompson