John Jasmins never thought he would die. Not while jumping in to break up a domestic fight outside his children's school, not after the man involved stabbed him repeatedly, not even after the doctor told him the weapon had hit an artery.

Just after 3 p.m. on February 20, the off-duty Delta police officer had just picked up his children from Immaculate Conception elementary school when he noticed a man and woman fighting. and saw there was a weapon involved. Despite seeing a weapon, Jasmins says he ran towards the altercation without hesitation.

In the process, he was stabbed multiple times.

"The second one I believe went between the ribs, went through my diaphragm and hit an artery so there was a significant amount of bleeding both on scene and internally," Jasmins told CTV News Vancouver.

"Fortunately I was told by the surgeon, I guess there are three organs that were right there and the knife went between all three and missed all three."

A third puncture wound hit his hip, detaching the muscle from the bone. He started rehab for the injury on Wednesday, shortly before speaking with CTV News.

With the suspect arrested, and despite his wounds, Acting-Sgt. Jasmins spent the next few minutes calling his wife and protecting his children.

"I basically looked up, saw my kids standing there looking very white as ghosts, started to walk back towards them. I felt inside my jacket, I knew I had been stabbed and I knew I was bleeding quite a bit but I didn't really want them to see me like that," he said.

Eventually he agreed to be treated. He was rushed to Royal Columbian Hospital where a trauma team performed surgery on several deep wounds.

The 13-year police officer had lost so much blood, he required six blood transfusions.

It was the second time in a year-and-a-half Jasmins needed a transfusion. In August 2017, he underwent open heart surgery to correct an aortic aneurism. A complication saw the officer lose blood quickly and require four transfusions.

He joked that between the two incidents, he now has more blood in his body from others than his own.

While he has long advocated for blood donation, the transfusion he received have prompted him to become an advocate for Canadian Blood Services.

"It could be my kids next time, it could be somebody else I know," Jasmins acknowledged.

Since he can no longer donate personally, he is working with Canadian Blood Services on its annual 'Sirens for Life' campaign.

Starting May 1st, first responders will participate in a challenge to see which organization can recruit the most blood donors.

"Unfortunately we're coming up to the summer season where there's a lot of motor vehicle collisions and accidents where really there is a strong need for blood donations," he said.

As for his own recovery, Jasmins is undergoing rehab to gain his strength back after months of recovery. His doctors have cleared him for a gradual return to work, though it will likely still be some time before he can get back on the streets of Delta.

The officer's daughter is friends with the son of the woman whose life he saved. Seeing the little boy around school has been helpful in his recovery, Jasmins says.

Encouraging people to give the gift of life is another way he is healing.

"I just encourage everybody to go out and donate if they can."

CTV News Vancouver's Penny Daflos recorded an episode of BTS with CTV News Vancouver discussing the circumstances of this interview. You can listen below: