A life or death moment 17 years ago now has Julie Smith fighting for her life once again. In 1988 Smith suffered through a miscarriage and as a result needed a blood transfusion.
In what seemed to be a simple procedure, the blood she received was contaminated with Hepatitis C and now she has the disease.
kAm“%96 5@4E@CD :? r@=@C25@ 5:5 ?@E >2<6 2 3:8 562= 23@FE :E 2E E96 E:>6[” D96 D2:5] “%96J E@=5 >6 :E H@F=5 ?@E 5@ 2?JE9:?8 E@ >6]”k^Am
kAm%92E 92D ?@E 366? E96 42D6 7@C $>:E9] (96? D96 H2D :? %6I2D =2E6C E92E J62C[ D96 3682? 92G:?8 7=F\=:<6 DJ>AE@>D]k^Am
kAmw6C 9FD32?5 E@@< 96C E@ E96 5@4E@C H96C6 D96 C646:G65 EH@ A:?ED @7 3=@@5 2?5 H2D E@=5 E96 ECF6 6IE6?E @7 96C :==?6DD]k^Am
kAm“%96 5@4E@C :? %6I2D E@=5 >6 96 5:5?’E <?@H 9@H x 8@E :? DF49 325 D92A6 H:E9@FE 36:?8 2 D6G6C6 2=4@9@=:4[” $>:E9 D2:5] “x 5C2?< 2 =:EE=6 96C6 2?5 E96C6[ 3FE x 92G6 ?6G6C 366? 2 962GJ 5C:?<6C] x ;FDE 5:5 ?@E 92G6 2 E2DE6 7@C :E]”k^Am
kAm$>:E9 92D 6?5\DE286 =:G6C 5:D62D6 3642FD6 @7 w6A2E:E:D r 2?5 :D :? ?665 @7 2 =:G6C EC2?DA=2?E :? @C56C E@ =:G6]k^Am
kAm$>:E9[ 2 7@C>6C 4@?DECF4E:@? H@C<6C[ 92D 366? H:E9@FE 2 ;@3 D:?46 a__` 2?5 E96 :==?6DD 92D E2<6? :ED E@==]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 2=H2JD H@C<65 @FED:56[” D96 D2:5] “(6 92G6 366? 2== @G6C E96 A=246 5@:?8 H92E6G6C 2?5 ?@H x 42?’E 6G6? 8@ @FE :? E96 J2C5 E@ 7665 E96 5@8D H:E9@FE 762C:?8 x H:== A2DD @FE]”k^Am
kAmq6:?8 @FE @7 H@C< 7@C 7@FC J62CD[ $>:E9 92D C6=:65 @? |65:42:5 2?5 @E96C 8@G6C?>6?E 2DD:DE2?46 E@ 96=A 96C 2?5 96C E9C66 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm“|65:42:5 @?=J A2JD 7@C `_ AC6D4C:AE:@?D 2 >@?E9[” $>:E9 D2:5] “x E2<6 ac 5:776C6?E AC6D4C:AE:@?D] x 92G6 E@ C6=J @? D2>A=6D 7C@> >J 5@4E@C 2?5 ;F88=6 E96 C6DE E@ 86E 2== E96 >65:42E:@? x ?665]”k^Am
kAm}@E @?=J 5@6D $>:E9 92G6 E@ ;F88=6 96C >65:42E:@?D[ D96 92D E@ 5@ E96 D2>6 H:E9 96C @E96C 3:==D]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJE9:?8 :D 2=H2JD @? E96 G6C86 @7 36:?8 D9FE @77 @C E2<6? 2H2J[” $>:E9 D2:5] “(6 ;FDE 92G6 E@ >2<6 5F6 H:E9 H92E H6 92G6]”k^Am
kAm|@DE @7 E96 E:>6 E96 ba\J62C\@=5 >@E96C @7 E9C66 DE2JD :? E96 365 :? E96 =:G:?8 C@@> @7 96C 9@FD6 6:E96C H2E49:?8 E6=6G:D:@? @C DFC7:?8 @? E96 x?E6C?6E[ H9:49 :D H96C6 D96 7@F?5 9@A6]k^Am
kAm“x H2D :? 2 w6A2E:E:D r DFAA@CE 8C@FA @?=:?6 2?5 4@??64E65 H:E9 2 H@>2? ?2>65 t==6?[” D96 D2:5] “$96 ?6H @7 >J D:EF2E:@? 2?5 @776C65 E@ 96=A]”k^Am
kAmw6C x?E6C?6E 7C:6?5 AFE $>:E9 :? 4@?E24E H:E9 sC] #:492C5 s2C=:?8[ 2 56?E:DE :? r2=:7@C?:2 H9@ 2=D@ DF776CD 7C@> w6A2E:E:D r]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 925 E9C66 =:G6C EC2?DA=2?ED 2?5 x 2> G6CJ 72>:=:2C H:E9 9@H :E H@C<D[” s2C=:?8 D2:5] “(6 FD6 2 |t{s W|@56= 7@C t?5\$E286 {:G6C s:D62D6X 4@>AFE6C D42=6 7C@> e\c_ E@ 56E6C>:?6 9@H D:4< 2 =:G6C A2E:6?E :D]”k^Am
kAm%96 9:896C E96 |t{s D4@C6[ E96 8C62E6C E96 C:D< 2 A6CD@? 92D @7 5J:?8 7C@> =:G6C 5:D62D6] $>:E9’D D4@C65 2 ba C646?E=J]k^Am
kAm$96 ?665D 2 =:G6C EC2?DA=2?E[ 3FE :E :D ?@E 2D D:>A=6 2D E92E]k^Am
kAm“x?DFC2?46 H:== @?=J A2J 7@C 92=7 @7 :E[” D96 D2:5] “qFE[ 367@C6 x 42? 6G6? 86E @? E96 H2:E:?8 =:DE[ x 92G6 E@ AC@G6 x 42? A2J 7@C 92=7 E96 DFC86CJ 2?5 2 J62C’D H@CE9 @7 2?E:\C6;64E:@? 5CF8D]”k^Am
kAm{:G6C EC2?DA=2?ED DE2CE 2E Sbfd[___ 2?5 E92E 92D ?@E 366? E96 @?=J 4@DE 7@C $>:E9]k^Am
kAm!2E:6?ED H:E9 6?5\DE286 =:G6C 5:D62D6 42??@E 92G6 :?764E:@?D 2?JH96C6 H96? E96J 8@ :? 7@C DFC86CJ 2?5 3642FD6 @7 96C >65:4:?6[ $>:E9 56G6=@A65 A6C:@5@?E2= 5:D62D6]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 ?@E 925 E66E9 :? `g >@?E9D[” D96 D2:5] “%96C6 :D 2 =:DE @7 7@@5 x 2> DFAA@D65 E@ 62E E@ >2<6 >6 766= 36EE6C[ 3FE x 42?’E 496H 2?J @7 :E]”k^Am
kAms2C=:?8 92D DE6AA65 :? E@ 96=A $>:E9 H:E9 96C 56?E2= AC@3=6>D]k^Am
kAm“x 3682? ECJ:?8 E@ 4@?E24E 56?E:DED :? 96C 2C62[” 96 D2:5] “x 7@F?5 sC] v6@C86 w2C5J[ 2?5 96 28C665 E@ 96=A]”k^Am
kAm%92?<D E@ E96 96=A @7 w2C5J 2?5 2 56?E2= 8C@FA :? pE=2?E2[ $>:E9 H:== C646:G6 56?EFC6D]k^Am
kAm“xE C62==J 8:G6D J@F 2 5:776C6?E A6CDA64E:G6 @? =:76[” w2C5J D2:5] “x FDF2==J 5@ ?@E D66 A2E:6?ED 2D D:4< 2D D96 :D] xE >2<6D >6 2?5 >J 56?E2= E62> 766= 8C62E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 96=A D@>6@?6]”k^Am
kAmw2C5J 2?5 v=@32= s6?E2= 28C665 E@ 5@ E96 H@C< 7C66 @7 492C86 2?5 ?@H s2C=:?8 9@A6D E@ 96=A $>:E9 C2:D6 7F?5D 7@C E96 EC2?DA=2?E]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 564:565 E@ 86?6C2E6 AF3=:4:EJ[ D@ H6 42? 7:?5 A6@A=6 H:==:?8 E@ A2J 7@C E96 DFC86CJ[” s2C=:?8 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 $>:E9 H2:ED 7@C 96C 2 EC2?DA=2?E 96C 4@?5:E:@? H@CD6?D]k^Am
kAm“~?6 @7 >J 5@4E@C’D E@=5 >6 E92E >J 5:D62D6 92D AC@8C6DD65 >@C6 C2A:5=J E92? 2?J 42D6 96 925 6G6C D66?[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 96C =:G6C 92D 2== 3FE D9FE 5@H?[ $>:E9 92D DE2CE65 92G:?8 D6:KFC6D 2?5 96C <:5?6JD 2C6 368:??:?8 E@ 72:=]k^Am
kAm%96 5:D62D6 92D 2=D@ E2<6? :ED E@== @? $>:E9’D 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm“|J 8:C=D W$2>2?E92 2?5 z2E96C:?6X 5@ ?@E D=66A :? E96:C C@@>D[” D96 D2:5] “%96J D=66A @? E96 4@F496D :? E96 =:G:?8 C@@> H:E9 >6]”k^Am
kAm$>:E9’D D@?[ r2D6J[ 2=D@ DECF88=6D H:E9 9:D >@E96C’D :==?6DD]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E’D >J 72F=E D96’D D:4<[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%@ =62C? >@C6 @7 $>:E9UCDBF@jD :==?6DD @C >2<6 2 5@?2E:@?[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]86@4:E:6D]4@>^D2G60;F=:6^QmHHH]86@4:E:6D]4@>^D2G60;F=:6^k^2m]k^Am
