It was her sister’s birthday, and Kylie was about to start her freshman year of high school. Suddenly, her world changed. Kyle Tang was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, requiring her to begin high school online rather than in-person. Not only was the Covid-19 pandemic in full swing, but she had to begin treatment at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
Kylie’s treatment journey was hard. The heightened Covid restrictions deepened her feelings of isolation, as a level of separation is already required because of the immunocompromising effects of cancer treatment.
But Kylie and her family were able to navigate that challenging time with the support of her care team and the lifesaving impact of blood and platelet transfusions. She shares there were times where she felt weak and was unable to even see straight. It was in these moments that transfusions helped her manage the side effects and gave her strength throughout treatment.
Completing treatment was bittersweet. While she was happy to ring the bell, signaling the end of her treatment, it was emotional saying goodbye to her lifesaving team. The end of her treatment was the beginning of other journeys for Kylie.
Now she attends the University of Texas at Austin, where she keeps busy with classes, friends, and volunteering, including working in the canteen and supporting community outreach events with We Are Blood.
Giving Back Locally
As a leukemia survivor, Kylie is unable to donate blood. Volunteering provides her the opportunity to give back. Through community outreach events, Kylie looks forward to sharing her story, educating others on blood donation, and helping inspire appointments. Kylie shares the importance of being involved in community outreach, “It’s really special to me because I know it is going to such an amazing cause.”
One thing Kylie loves to highlight is that blood donations with We Are Blood stay in Central Texas. We Are Blood provides transfusable blood products to over 50 medical facilities and EMS teams across our 10-county region.
An Oversized Impact
Kylie is an example of the lifesaving impact of blood and platelet donation. She encourages you to donate if you can, explaining that your donations can make an oversized impact by prolonging someone’s life or allowing them to live into adulthood.
Blood donation often only takes 30-45 minutes, but Kylie says, “It’s a small part of your day but can have an amazing impact.”
Provide care to central Texans in need of transfusions and schedule your next blood or platelet donation.
Unable to donate by still want to give back? Learn more about volunteering or hosting a blood drive with We Are Blood.