WOMAN CELEBRATES 90TH BIRTHDAY BY GIVING PLATELETS
NEWARK, DE - Jane Frelick of Newark is turning 90-years-old on Tuesday, February 16 and she has big plans to mark the occasion. Jane will be saving lives by donating platelets at one o'clock (donation takes more than an hour) at Blood Bank of Delmarva's Christiana Center - just has she has done for the past decade.
"When you talk to Jane, you are immediately impressed by her positivity and her enthusiasm towards saving lives," said Bob Travis, President and CEO of Blood Bank of Delmarva. "She is one of our most dedicated donors. She gives platelets about once a month and has donated more than 10 gallons to date."
Jane and her husband first joined the Blood Bank in 1955. Though she wasn't able to give blood for many years because of low hemoglobin levels and six pregnancies, she later learned that she was perfectly suited to be a platelet donor and has been giving regularly ever since. Her birthday donation will be her 43rd time giving platelets.
Platelet donations (call platelet pheresis) provide six to ten times more platelets than a regular whole blood donation. Platelets are cells that help control bleeding and assist in the clotting process. They have a shelf life of just five days and are needed to treat people with leukemia or cancer. During platelet pheresis, the donor's blood passes through a machine that separates out the platelets and returns the red cells and other components to the donor. The process takes about 90 minutes. Donors can give platelets every two weeks.
