Andrew Albert, of East New Market, Maryland, knows firsthand the lifesaving power of blood donation – because it saved his own life.
Andrew, now 17, was born with a rare genetic condition called X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), a disorder that can cause a life-threatening immune response when triggered by the Epstein-Barr virus. For Andrew, that response put major organs like his liver and kidneys at risk.
At just 2 years old, Andrew underwent a bone marrow transplant and received multiple blood transfusions as part of his treatment. But the following year, he developed a rare complication called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a condition in which his immune system essentially became allergic to his own platelets.
“The treatment was receiving donor plasma over many weeks through apheresis,” said his mother, Barbara Albert. “The generosity of others saved his life twice! His goal has been to express the importance of giving blood as well as encouraging first-time donors – especially young people – to become lifelong donors as a way to express service above self by joining the community of blood donor superheroes.”
To that end, Andrew, now a Boy Scout and member of East New Market Troop 754, decided to give back by holding three blood drives this past school year as his Eagle Scout project. Only 4 percent to 6 percent of Scouts ever achieve the Eagle Scout rank.
The first blood drive was held on January 15, 2025, at Cambridge South Dorchester High School in Dorchester County, Md. The second was held on April 22 at the Pauline F and David Robbins Family YMCA in Cambridge, and the third returned to his high school on May 15.
“I got the experience of getting to work with a lot of good people from my school and good people from the Blood Bank [of Delmarva],” Andrew said. “I also got the experience of taking charge of others. The big thing with the Eagle Scout project is being a leader to your peers, and you take away what was difficult, what was easy.”
The experience inspired Andrew to donate for the first time at his church, Immanuel United Church of Christ in Cambridge, on May 22.
He also plans to organize blood drives at his high school again during the 2025-2026 school year. Blood Bank of Delmarva Director of Donor Recruitment Joanna Arat encouraged him to apply for one of the scholarships BBD gives out to high school students for organizing blood drives. High school students are eligible for scholarships from BBD each year – more information can be found here. [LINK]
His parents, Barbara and Philip Albert, are proud of Andrew for choosing a worthy project and working so hard this past school year to make the drives successful.
