John Oldfield is no stranger to donating platelets, but he was in for a surprise when he arrived at the ImpactLife Blood Center, 3407 E. Agency Street on Nov. 21, to find balloons, a “thank you” sign and a box of frosted cookies and small cake sitting at his donor lounge chair.
Atop the cake was a plastic hula girl.
“Whenever (Oldfield) reaches the next milestone, he says, ‘Where are the dancing girls?’” explained Trish Weiland, the donor center recruiter.
Tuesday’s milestone was a big one.
Officials of the blood center said Oldfield, a Navy veteran who lives in Burlington, has donated 65 gallons of blood, totaling 385 total lifetime blood donations.
Oldfield was as usual cheerful and good-natured about the process, announcing he was about to be stuck with a needle.
For platelet donations, “a machine collects only the platelets and returns the remaining components to the donors,” explained Kirby Winn, marketing director for ImpactLife Blood Center.
Oldfield made his first blood donation when he was in the Navy.
Married with a family, his main motivation to start was to be sure his family had blood available if disaster or illness were to strike. His concern for others also has kept him donating.
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