When her son needed blood, North Texas mom inspired community to step up
Every two seconds in the United States, someone needs a blood transfusion.
But what happens when the blood isn’t there?
It’s an unexpected challenge that can quickly impact patients and their families; the demand often far outweighs the supply. Patients cannot receive blood if people do not donate blood. Surgeries and medical treatments can be delayed for several days until the necessary blood type becomes available.
For Kischa Howard, a drop in the blood supply called for a rise into action.
“What happened next was overwhelming …”
Her son, Khamron, was battling osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. Blood transfusions help patients replenish their blood supply, manage disease symptoms, and improve quality of life during cancer treatments and surgeries. Notably, up to 25% of the blood supply supports cancer patients of all ages.
At a critical point in Khamron’s cancer fight, he urgently needed O positive blood. However, the need came during a severe blood shortage.
“As a mother, there are few things more terrifying than waiting,” Kischa said, “knowing your child needs lifesaving care, and being told it isn’t available yet. That feeling stays with you.”
After contacting Carter BloodCare to learn more about the donation process, Kischa went into action.
“With nothing more than hope and urgency, I created a simple social media post asking friends and family to donate,” Kischa recalled. “What happened next was overwhelming. People responded immediately. They showed up, ready to give, ready to help, ready to stand with us.”
Carter BloodCare donors made the difference, she said.
“My son received what he needed. In the time that followed, he received five blood transfusions, and each one gave him the strength to keep fighting – one more day, one more moment, one more breath of hope,” Kischa said.
“His resilience during the grueling treatments, the emotional support he received, and his determination to make a full recovery painted a picture of strength, hope and courage.”
In helping Khamron, more than 50 O positive donors began consistently stepping up, ready and willing to shore up the blood supply and help anyone who might need them.
A community responsibility
In January 2022, at the age of 20, Khamron’s health battle ended. Out of heartbreaking loss, however, came a powerful legacy with Kischa’s founding of the nonprofit organization, Kham’s House.
“Kham’s House exists to provide comfort, care and courage to adolescents and young adults and their families navigating cancer and serious illness, because no family should ever feel alone during a medical crisis,” Kischa said.
“Our lived experience made something very clear: blood donation is not just a medical system issue; it is a community responsibility.”
In the United States, only 3% of the population donates blood, although more than 60% are eligible, according to statistics from America’s Blood Centers.
“The willingness to give is there. The compassion is there,” Kischa acknowledged. “What’s needed is greater awareness, access and activation. We believe in helping mobilize community donors, normalizing regular blood donation, and ensuring blood banks remain stocked, so families never face dangerous delays when time matters most.”
Kischa’s dynamic mission is deeply personal and purposeful.
“My son’s story began with a denied request for blood,” she said. “His legacy continues through a mission to ensure that no family ever has to hear the words, ‘We don’t have enough.’”
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Blood represents the community
Local patients need you. Please donate this week at your Carter BloodCare mobile blood drive or donor center. When you do, you’ll get a Donor Appreciation Gift.
And there’s another way you can help: If you’ve ever received a transfusion, your patient experience can motivate others to donate blood to save lives. You can make a big difference when you Tell Us Your Story.