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100-Gallon Donor Celebrates Milestone Inspiring San Diego Community to Donate Blood During National Blood Shortage
David Carroll visits our Chula Vista Donor Center every two weeks to donate platelets hoping to help those in need. This week, David reached an incredible milestone—100 gallons—with a triple platelet donation.
“The whole point of being able to give is that somebody else lives.” — David Carroll
Because of platelet donors like David, patients in local hospitals undergoing chemotherapy have the support they need to continue their fight against cancer.
Why do patients in cancer treatment need platelets? Chemotherapy is a common treatment for people fighting leukemia, blood cancers, breast cancer and more. While effective in fighting illness, these treatments deplete healthy platelets. Blood transfusions replace platelets lost during chemotherapy and give cancer patients more strength. Blood and platelet donation are amazing ways to support the health of people in the community. Join David during National Blood Donor Month and make an appointment to donate blood.
See more about David Carroll's lifesaving impact at the links below:
“Chula Vista man donates his 100th gallon of blood as supplies are critical” - Read Article | KPBS1
“San Diego Blood Bank urges those eligible to donate blood amid shortage” - Read Article | 10 News-San Diego3
"It's very safe to donate blood right now. You cannot contract COVID-19 from blood donation. You can't even contract COVID if you were to get a blood transfusion from someone who has COVID," "It's a respiratory virus and respiratory viruses are not transmittable through blood donation."
— Claudine Van Gonka, Director, Community Relations and Marketing, San Diego Blook Bank
San Diego Blood Bank, Southern California Blood Bank and blood centers nationwide need blood donors urgently to find a blood center or blood drive and make an appointment to donate blood. It’s especially important throughout the coming months to support the needs of patients in hospitals experiencing traumas, blood loss, anemias and cancer treatments. Schedule a blood donation
The American Red Cross has issued a blood crisis emergency statement about the urgent need for blood donations to help prevent delays in patient care and lifesaving transfusions.
Every single blood donation helps provide necessary blood transfusions. Help make a community impact and save lives during this critical, nationwide blood shortage.
The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB), America’s Blood Centers, and the American Red Cross released the statement below on January 10, 2022:
“As the blood community celebrates National Blood Donor Month this January, the nation’s blood supply remains at one of its lowest levels in recent years. The country confronts new challenges as COVID-19 cases surge and winter storms threaten to further disrupt the blood supply. As these concerns compound, blood centers nationwide continue to face a decline in donor turnout, blood drive cancellations, staffing challenges, and donor eligibility misinformation. Yet the need for blood remains...
Blood components have a short shelf life, and the blood supply needs to be constantly replenished. Blood can take up to three days to be tested, processed, and made available for patients, so it’s the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives in an emergency. In the U.S., more than 45,000 units [of blood are] needed daily.
Blood donations are needed now to avert the need to postpone potential lifesaving treatments. Some hospitals have already been forced to alter treatment for some patients or cancel some patient surgeries due to blood supply challenges.
[We] urge eligible, healthy individuals to contact their local blood center and make an appointment to donate blood today. We also ask local businesses to encourage their employees, including those working remotely, to find their local blood donation center and schedule an appointment to donate throughout 2022. The blood community relies on the generosity of blood donors to help save lives throughout the year.”2
Patients in local hospitals need lifesaving care that can only be provided through volunteer blood donation from generous people like you.
Please schedule an appointment to donate blood today. Click here to find a blood donation location or mobile blood drive near you.
San Diego County:
San Diego Blood Bank | Visit sandiegobloodbank.org/donate | Call (619) 400-8251
Orange County and Los Angeles County:
Southern California Blood Bank | Visit scbloodbank.org/donate | Call (844) 380-5220
Across the United States:
AABB | aabb.org | (301) 907-6977
America’s Blood Centers | americasblood.org | (202) 393-5725
American Red Cross | RedCrossBlood.org | (800) 733-2767
Updated on 11/20/2022 - A previous version of this article noted the "Chula Vista Terra Nova location" which may now be listed as San Diego Blood Bank Chula Vista Donor Center.
Sources:
1. Alvarado, Kitty. “Chula Vista Man Donates His 100th Gallon of Blood as Supplies Are Critical.” Edited by Roland Lizarondo , KPBS Public Media, KPBS, 12 Jan. 2022, http://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2022/01/11/chula-vista-man-donates-his-100th-gallon-of-blood-as-supplies-are-critical.
2. “Joint Statement: Blood Donors Urgently Needed during National Blood Donor Month and throughout the Winter.” America's Blood Centers, AABB, America's Blood Centers, and The American Red Cross, 10 Jan. 2022, https://americasblood.org/news/joint-statement-blood-donors-urgently-needed-during-national-blood-donor-month-and-throughout-the-winter/.
3. McKenzie, Mary. “San Diego Blood Bank Urges Those Eligible to Donate Blood amid Shortage.” 10 News San Diego, KGTV, 11 Jan. 2022, https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-blood-bank-urges-those-eligible-to-donate-blood-amid-shortage.
