Rita Anderson
In 1977, 14-year-old Rita and her older sister were on their way back home from a day of shopping. Rita had wanted to buy her first stereo with the money she had earned working on the family farm. They had just gone over a set of railroad tracks when they were broadsided by another vehicle. The vehicle had hit so hard that the driver's side was pushed into the middle of their car. Remarkably, Rita's sister only suffered a severe concussion, broken ankle and minor abrasions. Rita was not so fortunate.
Rita sustained a broken collarbone, two broken ribs, a bruised lung and ruptured spleen. At the hospital, they found her internal injuries and she was rushed immediately into surgery. Rita had lost approximately 8 units of blood from internal bleeding, but needed 13 units of blood to survive.
Today, Rita has some very ambitious goals about giving back to others that helped save her life.
"I've been working on this goal to replace all the blood that was given to me after the car accident. I guess what prompted me to actually start giving blood was noticing my dad's two-gallon pin from the Red Cross. My father was a regular blood donor. My mom has given too," said Rita.
She has almost reached her goal. Rita has given 12 units of blood, so she only has to donate one more time to replace the 13 units she needed in 1977. But she doesn't plan to stop there. Next, she wants to match what her father gave during his lifetime—26 units of blood.
"Now when I donate blood, I often think of my dad giving so many times and of course about the car accident and the gift of blood that I received. I wonder who needs my blood and why. I want to make a difference in people's lives and I hope to be there for others in need like they were there for me," said Rita.
Rita is so determined to continue helping others she is now attending school while working full-time to go into the medical field.
"I just want to give back," she said.