The Blood Between Us: How a Donor’s Gift Saved a CAF Member and Redefined Service

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper

When Leah Edwards’ youngest son Blair was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening infection, her family’s understanding of service and sacrifice took on a new meaning.

Blair Edwards, a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) based in Petawawa, has served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) since 2018. His older brother, Kyle, joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 2017 and is currently standing sentry for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a deployment aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa. Their grandfather, a retired Chief Warrant Officer, also served in the Air Force. For the Edwards family, service has always run deep — but nothing could prepare them for Blair’s medical battle.

In 2018, just three days into his military journey, Blair was hospitalized with the first of many Staphylococci infections. These infections would rear up during both his Soldier Qualifications (SQ) and Developmental Period (DP) Level One training. Eventually, he was able to successfully complete his soldier qualifications (SQ) while battling both pneumonia and an active infection. After a challenging four years, Blair then lived through an incredibly difficult 2023 surgery to remove two spleens (only one of which was natural) and narrowly survived post-surgery septic shock. Now, the only potential path to cure Blair was a complete stem cell replacement.

On April 30, 2024, Blair received a life-saving stem cell transplant thanks to an anonymous donor.

“The initial stage of the process seemed almost anti-climactic as Blair recieved high doses of chemotheraphy in the weeks preceding the transplant. He was a bit tired, but still himself.” said Leah. “Then came the transplant, and the shift.Just hours after recieving his first dose of stem cells, the effects hit his system and it felt like he was just a sliver of who he had been. He was all but disappearing into the bed. The barest spark of who he was remained.”

Medically, stem cell replacement therapy completely erases one’s immune system. During this time, even a simple cold can turn deadly. Following his transplant, Blair spent months in isolation, regaining his strength and rebuilding his immune system. He was unable to eat, and barely able to speak.

“Slowly, hour by hour, day by day, he came back to us.” said Leah.

Today, Blair Edwards is healthy and happy with his wife and new baby, living proof of the power of donation. To the Edwards family, blood and stem cell donors didn’t save just one person. In saving Blair, the anonymous donor saved a husband, father, son, and a Canadian soldier.

“I love that our health care system has come so far that we are able to give this gift to those that are in need. Especially to those that quite literally put their life on the line for us every day,” said Leah. The Edwards family’s story is a vivid reminder of how critical blood and stem cell donations are, especially to Canada’s military community. The CAF is one of the largest group partners with Canadian Blood Services (CBS), helping ensure that blood, plasma, platelets, and stem cells are available to Canadians in need, from cancer patients and trauma survivors to military families like the Edwards. RCN sailor and older brother Kyle Edwards continues to donate through life, sharing that he donates “because it’s in us to give.”

Through this exchange of sacrifice, the line between uniform and civilian begins to blur. A soldier’s life may be saved by a stranger’s gift, just as a civilian’s life tomorrow may depend on a service member’s donation. As Remembrance Day nears, the concept of service is also larger than ever before. The story of the Edwards is a poignant reminder of how duty, compassion, and gratitude can flow in both directions — and always will.

To donate blood, platelets, and stem cells in Canada, register online with the Canadian Blood Services today.