Since the late 1980s, William “Bill” Ward, of Oak Lawn, has been giving blood like clockwork.
In fact, he began donating in 1987 right around the time Vitalant — then known as LifeSource — started taking donations. He started simply because a co-worker at Harris Trust & Savings Bank in downtown Chicago mentioned she gave blood. He thought it sounded “different” and he would give it a try.
Ward over time wound up giving around 47 units of whole blood, which can be donated every eight weeks, through hospitals such as Holy Cross and Rush in the city, as well as Christ in Oak Lawn. Then he switched to platelet donations, which can be given every two weeks. Ward, still working at the time, went monthly.
“Then I retired in 2002, and I’ve done more donations,” Ward said. “Now, I do it every couple weeks.”
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