IT FORWARD. BOB HEBERT IS A ROCKER AT HEART, BUT IN THE LATE 90S, HIS TUNE CHANGED UNEXPECTEDLY. HE BEGAN EXPERIENCING WRENCHING PAINS IN HIS BELLY. I WAS BEING SICK FOR 4 TO 7 DAYS STRAIGHT, UH, EVERY TWO, THREE, FOUR WEEKS. YOU’D NEVER KNOW WHEN TO SHOW UP. AND IT WAS SO DEGRADING TO THE QUALITY OF MY LIFE, THE QUALITY OF MY MARRIAGE. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE DISEASE. I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PNH PAROXYSMAL NOCTURNAL HEMOGLOBIN, AN AREA BOB’S BONE MARROW WAS NOT PRODUCING HEALTHY RED BLOOD CELLS. THE DEFECTIVE RED BLOOD CELLS THAT WERE BEING CREATED IN MY BODY WERE WREAKING HAVOC. IN 2001, BOB FINALLY GOT A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT THROUGH THE PROCESS, RECEIVING MORE THAN 100 BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS. AND MY NUMBERS WERE LOW BECAUSE OF THE BAD RED BLOOD CELLS BEING MADE FROM MY MARROW. FOLLOWING ROUNDS OF CHEMO AND RADIATION, DOCTORS TOLD THE FATHER OF TWO THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE AGAIN. HOWEVER, IN 2003, BOB AND HIS WIFE BECAME PREGNANT WITH THEIR THIRD. WHEN WE SHARED THAT WITH THE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, MY DOCTOR AT STANFORD, WE GOT A HIGH FIVE. IT WAS LIKE, WOW, THIS IS INCREDIBLE. ABLE TO PAY THINGS FORWARD, BOB VOLUNTEERS AT VITALANT. HIS DIAGNOSIS MEANS HE CAN NO LONGER GIVE BLOOD, BUT IT DOESN’T STOP HIM FROM EXPRESSING HOW VITAL EACH DONATION IS. IT’S THOSE DONORS. SINCERELY, I SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BECAUSE ONE THANK YOU IS NOT ENOUGH. AND THAT HELPED EXTEND MY LIFE. BRING QUALITY TO MY LIFE. WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR THE BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT WINS. LIFE IS OVER. I, BY THE WAY, KINGS MIKE CHERRY KCRA THREE NEWS. LIFE SAVING AND LIFE CHANGING INDEED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE BLOOD, OUR BLOOD DRIVE RUNS FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NEXT WEEK. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE. YOU CAN DO THAT BY SCANNING THE QR CODE ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE. YOU CAN ALSO WALK IN DAY OF. THERE ARE TWO LOCATIONS AND THEY’RE BOTH ON YOUR SCREEN. SIERRA COLLEGE IN ROCKLIN AND THE DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO YMCA. WE HAVE A LIST OF HOURS AND DETAILS ABOUT ELIGI
2024 Blood Drive for Life: Man pays it forward after blood donations help save his life
![KCRA logo]()
Updated: 1:31 PM PST Dec 31, 2023
A Rock 'n' Roll musician at heart, Bob Hiebert was forced to change his tune unexpectedly in the mid-90s. That's when he began experiencing wrenching pains in his belly. "I was being sick for 4 to 7 days straight. Every 2, 3, 4 weeks," Hiebert said. "You'd never know until it showed up and it was just degrading to the quality of my life. The quality of my marriage." Hiebert was diagnosed with a rare disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hematuria, or PNH. A PNH diagnosis meant Bob's bone marrow was not producing healthy blood cells. "Those defective red blood cells in my body were wreaking havoc," he said. Throughout the entire treatment process, he received more than 100 blood transfusions. Then, in 2001, Bob finally got a bone marrow transplant."My numbers were low because of the bad red blood cells made from my marrow," he said. Following rounds of chemo and radiation, doctors told the father of two that he would never be able to reproduce again.However, in 2003, he and his wife became pregnant with their third son. "When we shared that with my doctor at Stanford, we high-fived. Like, wow, this is incredible," he said. To pay things forward, Hiebert volunteers at Vitalant.His diagnosis means he can no longer give blood, but it doesn't stop him from expressing how vital each drop can be. "It's those blood donors, I sincerely, I say thank you, thank you, thank you because one thank you is not enough," he said. "That helped extend my life and bring quality to my life while I was waiting for the bone marrow transplant."KCRA 3 is teaming up with Vitalant for the annual Blood Drive for Life, which for 2024 is taking place on Jan. 3-6 across two locations in Rocklin and Sacramento. Click here to make an appointment.
A Rock 'n' Roll musician at heart, Bob Hiebert was forced to change his tune unexpectedly in the mid-90s.
That's when he began experiencing wrenching pains in his belly.
"I was being sick for 4 to 7 days straight. Every 2, 3, 4 weeks," Hiebert said. "You'd never know until it showed up and it was just degrading to the quality of my life. The quality of my marriage."
Hiebert was diagnosed with a rare disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hematuria, or PNH.
A PNH diagnosis meant Bob's bone marrow was not producing healthy blood cells.
"Those defective red blood cells in my body were wreaking havoc," he said.
Throughout the entire treatment process, he received more than 100 blood transfusions.
Then, in 2001, Bob finally got a bone marrow transplant.
"My numbers were low because of the bad red blood cells made from my marrow," he said.
Following rounds of chemo and radiation, doctors told the father of two that he would never be able to reproduce again.
However, in 2003, he and his wife became pregnant with their third son.
"When we shared that with my doctor at Stanford, we high-fived. Like, wow, this is incredible," he said.
To pay things forward, Hiebert volunteers at Vitalant.
His diagnosis means he can no longer give blood, but it doesn't stop him from expressing how vital each drop can be.
"It's those blood donors, I sincerely, I say thank you, thank you, thank you because one thank you is not enough," he said. "That helped extend my life and bring quality to my life while I was waiting for the bone marrow transplant."
KCRA 3 is teaming up with Vitalant for the annual Blood Drive for Life, which for 2024 is taking place on Jan. 3-6 across two locations in Rocklin and Sacramento. Click here to make an appointment.
