Every 21 days, she depends on blood donations to survive a rare condition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (InvestigateTV) - Emily Rodgers is 12. She loves tumbling, the color pink and her best friend. This seventh grader measures time in 21-day increments.“I come here every three weeks, and this is my 194th blood transfusion,” Emily said.Emily has beta thalassemia major, a rare blood disorder that prevents her body from making hemoglobin. Since she was an infant, doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have given her transfusions.“Her body can’t make blood like healthy people. And so since she was a baby, we’ve actually been giving her transfusions to keep her alive,” said Dr. Jennifer Andrews, Emily’s pediatric hematologist and medical director of the blood bank at VUMC.Without those transfusions, Emily’s blood cannot carry enough oxygen. As she gets closer to the 21st day, she can feel it.“Actually, the other day I had to go to the nurse’s office because I was trying to keep myself awake, and my body couldn’t stay awake any longer,” Emily said.Hospital dep