As soon as Nikki Wilkes and her mother Lori Russell realized there was a massive blood shortage, they sprung into action. “How can I help the community? How can I serve the community,” Nikki said Lori had been asking. Lori has seen the blood crisis up close- diagnosed with acute …
Solome Mealin, 41, has sickle cell disorder and receives red cell exchanges every five weeks at St James’ hospital in Leeds. The mum of three has eight units of Ro blood each time. The sickle-shaped red blood cells that her body produces are replaced with donated healthy red cells. The …
For more than four decades, a Hilton Head man has been donating to a cause he loves. And tonight, the organization is hoping his actions will inspire others to step up and make a difference this Valentine’s Day. Bruce Haslip of Hilton Head Island started donating blood when he was …
A Wisconsin man has just reached a major blood donation milestone on Friday morning. Dave Enters left the Wisconsin Versiti Blood Center on Friday morning for the 500th time. For the past 35 years, he has officially donated only about 500 pints of blood. “I don’t know if there are …
Christine Moody of Windsor has been donating blood nearly every three months for over four decades. Her next appointment set for April will mark her 162nd donation. “I’ve been doing it since I was 17, so it’s a part of a routine now,” says Moody, now in her 60’s. She …
For years, Beverly Spande organized and helped volunteer at blood drives, but she also has received a blood donation herself in the past. The insight she gained from that experience stays with her to this day in her work at blood drives. “I know that it is important that it’s …
“Without any one of those people, I don’t know if I would be here, I don’t know if my husband would have a wife, or if my beautiful little daughters would have a mom,” said Horseheads resident Kristina Harris. Right now, the American Red Cross is facing a national blood …
Whose blood is about to become mine? That was my thought each time I watched a nurse hang a bag of dark red substance on my IV pole. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. During the six months of chemotherapy that followed, …
In mid-November last year, Emilio Kinyua faced a disturbing choice to make. On one side was an elderly woman crying and begging him to donate his blood to her dying daughter. Minutes later, he was brought a sick man, who was ready to pay him Sh10,000 for a pint (about …
It was the day after Halloween in 2018 that Zoah Johnston’s and her family’s lives changed forever. The five-year-old Toronto girl had gone out trick-or-treating the night before, dressed as Elsa from “Frozen” — and her parents Jay and Sara had noticed she was tired when she came home, and …