STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. (Dec. 7, 2018) - Airmen assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing marked the final blood drive of the year with a visit from a local blood recipient at Stewart Air National Guard Base Dec. 7, 2018.
Airmen from across the base lined up to donate and meet with 13-year-old Isabella Munoz. Donated blood kept Munoz alive when she had to undergo a series of heart surgeries this year.
Chief Master Sgt. Mark Cozzupoli, the command chief of the 105th Airlift Wing, said he wants to put a face to donations to show Airmen that their donations really matter.
“It means so much more to us to be able to donate blood, give that gift of life, but the fact that we know most of our donations are going to people that are in our community, in our local area, it’s doubly important to us to give back,” Cozzupoli said.
Munoz received more than a dozen blood transfusions this year after having open-heart surgery in January and again in March when she received a heart transplant.
Munoz’s mother, Kristin Munoz, spent 83 days in the hospital with her daughter during this time.
She saw first hand the importance of donated blood while she was there. When a split-second decision had to be made for a child, the doctors and staff were able to act quickly because of the supply of blood at the hospital.
“You would watch them run out and they would have access to the blood that was needed in seconds, in minutes, and that saved a lot of kids lives on that floor,” Kristin said.
“When it’s your own kid that needs that blood, it changes your perspective,” She added
Tech. Sgt. Sheila Fleming, a regular blood donor, had her own experience with blood donations when her own child required them. She said it was good for Airmen to see the impact they can have on another person’s life through donations.
“I think it helps a lot [to see the blood recipient],” Fleming said. “It’s an eye-opener.
Munoz was grateful to the men and women of the 105th and stressed that the donations are important.