As we get ready for our annual KXII blood drive in July, we want to share with you some of the stories of Texomans whose lives have been changed by blood donations. Shelby Levins introduces us to one mother who says she's alive today because of blood donors.

For Jennifer Payne, giving birth to her son could have been the last day of her life.

"They brought Mason to me to let me give him a kiss. When I gave him a kiss - I was thinking to myself what if that's the last kiss he has from me - because I was thinking I was going to die," Payne explained.

Mason is now a healthy 5-year-old boy. He loves to play video games, as his proud mother sits by his side.

Payne says she's thankful she's been able to watch him grow and play over the past five years, because during his birth complications caused her to lose massive amounts of blood.

"I almost had kidney failure, my temperature went through the roof, my blood pressure was crazy - so if it wasn't for blood, I definitely would have died," Payne said.

Payne says the blood donations she received not only saved her life, but it allowed her to be a mother again - to a healthy baby girl.

"I love my kids and I love being a mommy - cooking and cleaning and taking care of them and going to the park and to the lake a swimming," Payne explained.

While Payne says she can never repay the donor who saved her life, she gives back by donating to the Southern Oklahoma Blood Institute.

"The people who gave blood saved me - that's why I give blood now, because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be alive. So I feel like I owe it to other people to give blood," Payne said.

The blood Payne received didn't just change her life and make her into a regular donor - it's inspired her entire family to give blood too.

"Pretty much everyone around me, everyone that's close to me donates blood because of me - so that helps out a lot because not only am I giving back the people around me are too," Payne said.

Jennifer Payne is just one of many lives saved by blood donations. If you'd like to donate, or annual KXII Blood Drive is coming up next month. It's an all day event - Thursday, July 1st, at locations across Texoma.

We'll have more details on First News as we get closer to the blood drive.