597: Should You Have The Right to Choose Your Blood Donor? With Liz James

What if you needed a blood transfusion—but wanted a say in whose blood you received?

In this episode, pharmacist and patient advocate Liz James shares the remarkable story behind Blessed By His Blood, a nonprofit cooperative helping people locate compatible directed blood donors and navigate a system that can make receiving blood from someone you know surprisingly difficult.

Liz explains why she walked away from a successful pharmacy career in 2020, how her commitment to informed consent eventually led her into blood-donor advocacy, and why she believes patients should have the right to choose their blood donors in non-emergency situations. She takes us inside the blood industry, raising questions about blood storage, testing, medications and other substances that may be present in donor blood, and the financial incentives she believes are contributing to resistance to directed donation.

She also discusses the legislative effort to protect directed donor blood, including the first successful law in Idaho, and shares moving stories of families Blessed By His Blood has helped—including a transplant patient and two young girls who depend on regular transfusions.

Finally, Liz explains how families can make a plan before a transfusion is ever needed and why becoming your own advocate may be one of the most important steps you can take to protect your health.

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To learn more about Liz James, visit Blessed By His Blood
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