All she wants is to return the favor.

Antonia Gallo, senior in anthropology, was just 13 years old when she received a blood transfusion that saved her life.

Gallo has myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease usually treatable through surgery and medication.

“It’s kind of a cousin of muscular dystrophy,” she said.

Myasthenia gravis is often associated with abnormalities of the thymus gland, a small organ near the heart.

When Gallo was 13, she underwent a thymectomy to have her thymus removed. But during the surgery, something went wrong.

“They actually nicked part of my heart,” she said. “I needed three pints of blood.”

At the time, Gallo was more concerned with other side effects of the surgery.

“The coolest part – at least I thought it was cool when I was 13 – they took my sternum apart and it was held together with wires,” she said. “So I could move my arms and see my sternum ripple.”

Since the surgery, Gallo has been in remission and leading a normal life because of occasional medication. But the nature of her transfusion prevents her from returning the favor through donation. Instead, her blood drive volunteering has become somewhat of a ritual.

“I’m on the deferred list because of the blood transfusion, so I’ve always volunteered,” she said.

Gallo said it’s difficult for people to realize how important it is to donate blood until they know someone who needs it.

“Everyone pays attention to it after mass disasters,” she says, referring to the surge in blood donations after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “But it’s needed all the time, for surgeries and accidents.”

Just ask her. After all, she’s living proof.