ELKHART, Ind -- When you donate blood, it usually goes into a pint bag, often divided up for different uses, but in cases of extreme blood loss you may need a whole pint right away. 

The Whole Blood Program gives Elkhart Fire Department access to those full pint bags. Out of over 900 stations across Indiana there are less than ten stations participating in the program. 

This program launched in April, and the department has been able to help more than 20 patients in need of blood so far, including one woman from Concord Township who could have died without their help. 

Brittany Ely, a now mother of two tells ABC57's Sidney Moore, “I definitely would have kept bleeding, and I could have died like I needed to get all of the blood out of my uterus so that way it could start to contract down again and close off those blood vessels.”

Her perfect delivery took a turn for the worst. “My body wouldn't let me sleep. And you know, think that was a God thing of not sleeping, because about an hour and a half after I went laid down, I rolled over, and there was a big gush. I stood up, and it just flooded down my legs."

Brittany's medical background as a former ICU Nurse at Elkhart General Hospital helped her recognize she was in a state of shock. “We called my midwife. She was too far away. She couldn't get to me in time to give me medications. So, she had me lay down and put my feet up and talked my husband through how to do fundal massages, and then she hung up with us and called 911.”

Concord Paramedics were there within minutes, but upon arrival they quickly realized they would need more help. 

Grant Roberts, EMS Captain says, “The Concord paramedics saw their dispatch notes, and they immediately requested us to follow with blood, and we arrived, actually on scene as they were loading her into the ambulance. Within four minutes of us arriving on scene, we were infusing the blood and got that whole unit into her before she got to the hospital where she received more blood."

According to Health Line, each year around 60,000 people die from blood loss or hemorrhaging across the nation. By having this blood on hand, Brittany was able to make it to the hospital and was discharged the very next day, returning to her now family of four.