The pregnancy and birth of Dr. Andrea Campaigne’s second child, Nina, was fairly ordinary. It was when she was finally holding her new baby in her arms that her world turned upside down.
“The day that my daughter, Nina, who is such a mini me and such a gift to me, was born,” shares Dr. Campaigne, “I was holding her in my arms, and I could actually hear myself bleeding.”
As an obstetrician going through that type of event during childbirth, Dr. Campaigne didn’t feel fear, but reassurance and an immense faith in the system of which she is a part.
After surgery to manage her hemorrhage was done, her medical care team informed her that she had received three units of O Negative blood. As a physician, she knows the importance of having O Negative blood on hand for those types of emergency situations.
A Perspective Shift
She wrestled with the feelings of being a transfusion recipient at first. But ultimately, she was overcome with a feeling inside her heart – a feeling of gratitude for those who had donated and were part of that day for her.
Dr. Campaigne’s unique perspective as an OBGYN, who at times needs to administer transfusions to patients, paired with her own birthing experience and becoming a recipient herself, has inspired her to give back to the community in another special way. Andrea Campaigne now serves local patients through her medical practice and as an inspired and committed lifelong donor.