On August 13th, 2012, Officer Brandon Lackey with the Greenville County Sheriff鈥檚 Office was responding to a call when he was shot in the line of duty. Brandon was shot in the right thigh, causing major damage to his femoral vein and artery, resulting in a large amount of blood loss.听

鈥淏ased on the demeanor of the deputies around me, they thought I was going to pass away,鈥� said Brandon. 鈥淚 could see it on their faces; I was in pretty bad shape.鈥澛�

Brandon鈥檚 fellow deputies applied a tourniquet on his leg to slow the heavy bleeding and rushed him to the hospital. He says that it was clear what the doctors鈥� priorities were: to get him blood that would save his life.听

鈥淥ne thing that I vividly remember about being in the Emergency Room is that they were immediately preparing bags of blood,鈥� said Brandon.听Brandon received six units of lifesaving blood. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 six individual donors. When they gave blood, they had no idea who it would go to,鈥� said Brandon. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 know it would go to a police officer with a young family who was shot. I鈥檒l never know the blood donors, but without them, I wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥澛�

Four months later, Brandon went back to law enforcement duty. He now donates blood regularly with the luckywin and encourages others to give too.听

鈥淢y story is only one story of people who have been saved by lifesaving blood,鈥� said Brandon. 鈥淚 just want to encourage all citizens to come out and donate. You never know when that blood will be needed or who it will help. That鈥檚 six people who helped save my life.鈥澛�

To make an appointment to donate blood, go to .听