LAKE ZURICH, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fresenius Kabi announced today it has inducted 12 people as the 2018 class of the Fresenius Kabi Blood Donation Hall of Fame, a nationwide program that recognizes and shares the unique stories of individuals from across the country who demonstrate commitment and passion for donating blood and encouraging blood donation.
Each year, Fresenius Kabi partners with blood centers to select exceptional people to honor by compiling their stories into a specialized calendar used by blood centers across the country. This year, in addition to recognizing individuals, Fresenius Kabi is honoring families who have joined together to give back to their communities by donating blood or volunteering their time to blood donation efforts.
U.S. patients require an estimated 36,000 units of red blood cells each day to treat a multitude of serious medical conditions including cancer, organ transplants or following an accident or trauma. Blood donors and volunteers play a critical role in maintaining the nation’s blood supply, providing patients across the country with lifesaving resources and care.
“This year’s inductees spend countless hours at their local blood centers donating and volunteering their time to ensure this life-saving resource is available to anyone in need,” said Dean Gregory, president, medical devices at Fresenius Kabi USA. “For 20 years, Fresenius Kabi has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with blood centers, donors and volunteers to ensure that patients have access to blood.
Below is background on this year’s inductees and why they were recognized:
- Andy Decker donates at SunCoast Blood Bank in Sarasota, Florida. He has been giving the gift of platelets every two weeks, rain or shine, for more than a decade. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, but thankfully, his treatments were successful. Following his diagnosis, he waited through his one-year mandatory deferral, and on the exact day he became eligible to donate again, he called the center to set up his next appointment. Platelets are cells that form clots and stop bleeding. For millions of patients in the U.S. they are essential to surviving and fighting cancer, chronic diseases and traumatic injuries.
- William O’Hara donates at Central Blood Bank in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He started donating blood 35 years ago, originally donating whole blood and later switching to platelets to help cancer patients. He made his 500th donation in May 2018.
- Dan Porter donates at American Red Cross Richland Donor Center in Richland, Washington. He began donating after his friends were diagnosed with cancer and wanted to help others in similar positions. Since 1993, he has given 320 units.
- Jo Lynn Cunningham donates at MEDIC Regional Blood Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. Once fearful of seeing blood and needles, she overcame her fear when a colleague asked her to give a replacement donation for his wife. Since then, she has become a regular platelet donor who generously gives doubles or triples each time.
- Keith Olson donates at American Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Bend, Oregon. He was inspired to begin donating platelets after his wife underwent chemotherapy. He is now a regular platelet donor, coming to the center once a month.
- Jim McCullough donates at LifeServe Blood Center in Des Moines, Iowa. He became a blood donor when he joined the ROTC in college and continued donating through his time serving in the Iowa National Guard and 37 years in the Army. Along with his wife, Pat, he’s put in thousands of hours picking up blood from local drives for processing and testing.
- James and Peter Cole donate at Vitalant (formerly BloodSource) in Folsom, California. A father and son duo, they began donating together when Peter turned 16 years old. Together, Peter and James have donated nearly 2,400 times over two decades.
- Lauren McCrary volunteers at Carter BloodCare in Bedford, Texas. She found out firsthand how important it is for blood to be on the shelf for those in need after she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia 10 years ago. Since receiving a bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor and multiple units of blood products, she has become a vocal advocate for blood and marrow donation.
- Valerie Alpizar donates at OneBlood in DeLand, Florida. A nurse by training, she began donating in college. She now donates a triple product every other week, up to 24 times a year, and is working towards her 30-gallon milestone.
- Dustin Guillermo donates at Blood Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu. Dustin, a universal donor, comes to the center regularly, and has donated nearly 90 units of whole blood. He has also become a donation champion, actively recruiting family and friends through social media.
- Pat Yahnke donates at Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB) in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was inspired 16 years ago to donate blood by her husband, Ken, a long-time donor. She regularly donates double-red cells and is an active part of the NCBB volunteer team, serving in the donor center canteen and at blood drives.
- Olivia Shorter and her family volunteer at American Red Cross, Greater Chicago and Northern Illinois Region. She was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was 7 days old. While her condition can be managed, it requires medical care and regular blood transfusions. Olivia and her family have become advocates for donating blood and sickle cell awareness.
About the need for blood and blood donation
According the American Red Cross one accident victim may need up to 100 units of red blood cells. Nearly 7,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily and nearly 21 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S. When donating blood, people give a pint of whole blood, or donate a specific blood component via an automated system. With whole blood, further processing is required to separate the unit into its therapeutic components—typically red blood cells, platelets and plasma. When donating on an automated system, donors typically give the same amount of blood, but more of the component that is in highest demand depending on their donor characteristics and blood type. A total of 30 million blood components are transfused annually in the U.S. To make a blood donation or to learn more about donating blood, please contact your local blood center.
Nominations for 2019 class accepted through June 14, 2019
Fresenius Kabi invites nominations of blood donors or other individuals who have demonstrated a commitment and passion for donating blood or encouraging blood donation. Anyone can submit a nomination and there is no limit to the number of nominations per blood center. A person may only be inducted into the Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame once.
Nominations for the 2019 Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame are due by June 14, 2019. Submit your nomination online at: www.fresenius-kabi.com/us/company/donation-hall-of-fame.
About Fresenius Kabi
Fresenius Kabi (www.fresenius-kabi.com/us) is a global health care company that specializes in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company’s products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. The company’s U.S. headquarters is in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The company’s global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany.
