PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A blood and platelet donor says a OneBlood employee alerted her to a health condition, potentially saving her life.
Patti Bond is a regular donor, so she wasn't surprised last month when she got a call from OneBlood Donor Service Specialist Latonia Rudolph.
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"I get a call, and it was from Latonia, and she said, 'We're in critical need of platelets. Can you come in?'" Bond recalls.
She made an appointment the next morning and almost immediately was told something was wrong.
"[I told her,] 'your blood pressure is really high. I think you should get this checked out,'" Rudolph remembers telling Bond.
After checking her blood pressure three times with the same result, Bond went straight to the emergency room at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center for an EKG.
Both doctors and Bond were shocked by the diagnosis.
"[The doctors found,] a myocardial infarction, which is a heart attack, plus pulmonary disease, so that was like a double whammy," Bond said.
Doctors said she suffered a heart attack prior to her donation without even knowing it.
They rushed her into surgery for a heart catheter, angioplasty and stent.
Bond said this proves why donating blood is so important.
"You're helping to save another life, but it could be your own life that’s being saved," Bond said.
After getting discharged, Bond immediately called Rudolph to thank her for saving her life.
"[She told me,] 'you are my guardian angel,'" Rudolph said, recalling what Bond said to her. "And immediately I teared up because I didn't know I made an impact in her life. I'm just doing my job, in my opinion."
A job well done.