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Mom credits blood donor, hospital staff for saving daughter's life

Melody was born with hereditary spherocytosis, which means a shortage of red blood cells.

One in 5,000 people in the U.S. suffers from the severe blood disorder known as hereditary spherocytosis. One little San Antonio girl battles with it every day.

The young fighter was released from the hospital on Thursday. Her mom, Velia Gonzalez, credits a complete stranger for donating blood as well as the staff at Methodist Children's Hospital for saving her daughter's life.

"You can never get to use to it, honest to God," she said.

Earlier this week, the incurable disease began to get the best of Melody Gonzalez.

"They checked her blood levels and she wasn't where she needed to be," she recalled. "She was at four-point-something hemoglobin, which is super low."

Melody was born with hereditary spherocytosis, which means a shortage of red blood cells. She also has an enlarged spleen. Melody has three other brothers with the same rare disorder.

"They go through a lot," the mom said. "They go through a lot of not being able to participate in certain things. They get too tired."

Her mom said that what saved her daughter's life was a blood transfusion.

"We are all human," she said. "And if you can give, give, because it can save somebody's life. Somebody saved hers, two people, or it could have been the same one, I don't know. But for sure, two different blood donors saved her life."

Her mom said that when Melody isn't sick in the hospital, she's a 3-year-old full of life.

"She's awesome," she said. "She's really funny. She has a lot of personality. I think that will be her strength."

Gonzalez encourages everyone to donate blood. Melody has O-negative blood, which is not common. Later in life, she could have her spleen removed, which means she'll have to take a vaccine for the rest of her life.

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