Hugs, kisses and their undivided attention are easy gifts for David and Ashlie Collins to give their firstborn son, Malachi. The one thing they cannot give him, however, is enough of their blood to keep him alive for the next two and a half years. That is a gift they need others to give. Mac, as his parents call him, has leukemia.

Hopefully, Mac’s life can ultimately be saved by chemotherapy, but it is regular blood transfusions that are keeping him alive right now. Transfusions to replace lost blood and platelets are critical to Mac’s survival. David, a previous blood donor, knows now that the gift of blood is the gift of life.

"I guess the biggest thing to realize is that you are giving to a person. Somebody, somewhere, needs your donation to live," says David. "The only dream I have for Mac is to be happy and to be able to enjoy his life."

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