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Resident grateful for the extra time a gift of blood provided By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF It's a simple act that can save a life or make a huge difference to a person who is suffering. Oakville resident Karen Greenham-Sawyer is calling on Oakvillians to roll up their sleeves and donate blood this holiday season. Canadian Blood Services reported they need 2,100 people in the GTA to donate blood between Christmas and New Year's to help meet the needs of hospital patients all across Canada over the holidays. For some patients, the gift of blood is lifesaving, for others, like Greenham-Sawyer's mother, Marilyn, it's a gift that gives patients and families more time when time is limited and precious. Greenham-Sawyer's mother was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in July of 2011. "Leukemia gets rid of your red blood cells and so you just deteriorate," said Greenham-Sawyer. "My mother started to feel a lot of pain; pain in her legs and it eventually got to the point where she couldn't get out of bed by herself or even stand up by herself. She couldn't walk, we had to get a walker for her." With medical treatments only slowing the progress of the disease and doing nothing to lessen her pain, the outlook for the remainder of Marilyn's life was bleak. Eventually the hospital opted to perform a blood transfusion. "I knew my mom didn't want to spend a lot of time in the hospital so I actually spent a fair bit of time grilling the nurses. Asking them if this was going to be worth it. She was going to have to spend five hours sitting there. Was it going to make any kind of difference?" Greenham-Sawyer asked the nurses. "They said, `Oh yeah, you'll see quite a big difference'." Greenham-Sawyer said she was initially disappointed after the transfusion as days passed and there appeared to be no noticeable change. All that changed on the fourth day when Marilyn realized her husband had not helped her out of bed that day. "The next day she was walking around without a walker," said Greenham-Sawyer, choking back tears. "She could get up by herself and she was pretty proud of that. She just... came back to life." Knowing the transfusion was only a treatment and not a cure, Greenham-Sawyer said her mother used the time she had been given to call relatives stating she wanted them to hear her while she was feeling strong. She was also able to do things, which she had not been able to do for a while, but that so many take for granted, like have lunch with her husband by the lake and visiting with neighbours for tea. "It didn't extend this awful state. It revitalized her, she came back for a couple weeks," said Greenham-Sawyer. "It's kind of like you knew someone in your life who had died and you asked, `Could you just give them back to me for a week or two weeks or a day?' You'd give anything for that, and that's what this did." While Marilyn passed away in September at the age of 76, Greenham-Sawyer continues to be grateful for the gift two units of donated blood gave her mother and her family. In honour of her mother Greenham-Sawyer donated blood for the first time on Dec. 14, and has already made an appointment to donate more. "Your donation can make all the difference," she said. "Also, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would." 17 · Wednesday, December 28, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com G1, G2 DRIVING SCHOOL 4 DAY IN CLASS SPECIAL January 2, 3, 4 & 5 TIME 9:00 AM TO 2:15 PM CHRISTMAS SPECIAL PRICE $500.00 WITH THIS AD (Orig. Price $550.00) 1395 ABBEYWOOD DRIVE, UNIT #3, OAKVILLE, ONT.L6M 3B2 LOCATED IN THE NO FRILLS PLAZA AND 4 MORE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU IN MILTON AND BURLINGTON AREA CONTACT US TODAY TO REGISTER Website:www.g1-g2.com email:g1g2drivingschool@yahoo.com 905-484-3435 ation course BDE driving educ · MTO approved provider gnized by the certificate reco · BDE graduate try insurance indus r lessons and 10 hour in-ca ss cla inur ho d strategic · 20 an ive ns fe garding de · Knowledge re s driving technique nditions that environmental co of ing nd ta rs n · Unde tio ac re d your safe effect driving an cision making de d an ge led ow · Demonstrate kn situations and emergency skills in routine ues and niq ch t defensive te · Learn the lates d collision an ss ne fit r ive of dr the importance avoidance turn, freeway parking, 3 point · Learn parallel ues. niq ch te fensive ity driving and all de ss learning facil cla in w ne d an · New vehicle BOXING WEEK SALE PRICING STARTS TODAY! BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK & CRUISE VACATION GIVEAWAYS EVERYDAY! * Only At Hyundai Of Oakville *While supplies last. See dealer for details. sale ends December 31, 2011. 5-year/100,000 km Comprehensive Limited Warranty 5-year/100,000 km Powertrain Warranty 5-year/100,000 km Emission Warranty