Munoz, 49, experienced severe complications when she was in labor with her only son Omar. Suddenly, both she and her new baby needed three pints of blood. It's something she didn't realize because she had been in a ten-day coma.
"When I woke up that day Omar was on my chest ten days later. I thought it was an hour later. It was ten days later when he was on my chest crying," she said.
Munoz would once again experience the power of blood donations during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Omar's reconstruction surgery, he lost a lot of blood. The generosity of a stranger who donated helped.
"My son received the blood that he needed. He needed red blood cells and platelets," she said.
The American Red Cross said it is teetering on a blood shortage this winter. It's urging donors to give blood or platelets.
SEE ALSO: Register now for the ABC11 Together Blood Drive in Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville
"There's a critical need for types O blood, A negative and B negative donors at this time," said Tai Wong with the American Red Cross. "We don't want to put hospitals in a situation where doctors have to decide if they are going to give this one unit of blood to a cancer patient or someone who came in from a traumatic car accident."
After seeing firsthand how blood donations help, Munoz launched the Hispanic Legacy Network. She works with the Red Cross to organize drives and encourage the community to donate. Last December, she encouraged more than 150 people to sign up through her organization to donate blood to a cause that's near and dear to both her and Omar's hearts.
"You're giving the gift of life. You're giving hope. You're giving love," she said.