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Cheryl McPherson of Stevensville, MD has given blood before but she never thought much about where her blood was going. That changed suddenly when her mom, Betty Comegys, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a disorder that prevented her body from making enough new blood cells. Cheryl's mom needed red cell and platelet transfusions on a frequent basis.

Cheryl's mom, Betty

Continue reading "Blood Donor Cheryl McPherson: "Blood Donations Gave Me Time With My Mom"" »

PICTURED: Elaine (left) and her older sister, Gwen, in 1995.

Elaine Holmquist of Wilmington has donated more than three gallons of blood over the years.

"Thankfully, I've been blessed with excellent health," said Elaine. "It's important to me that I help others who have not been as fortunate, especially considering what my older sister, Gwen, went through as a child."

Elaine's sister, Gwen, was born with a hole in her heart and nearly died. She needed countless blood transfusions, as well as open-heart surgery and other treatments.

Continue reading "Blood Donor Elaine Holmquist: "I'm glad I can do my part to help"" »

PICTURED: Kailyn, 3, with her little sister, Lauryn

Lynn Holly Oates' three-year-old daughter, Kailyn, is alive today because of blood donors. She was born with a congenital heart defect and needed three open-heart surgeries before she was seventeen months old. Each time she had surgery, she needed blood transfusions.

"Because someone took the time to donate blood, my daughter had what she needed to recover," said Lynn-Holly. "Every time I go to the Blood Bank and give blood, I think about those other people who were sitting in my seat at one time, giving the blood that became a part of Kailyn. I'm extremely grateful."

Continue reading "Blood Donors Help 3-Year-Old Survive Open-Heart Surgeries" »

PICTURED: Jennie, on the right, with her friend Laurie

When she was born 24 years ago, Jennie Rodriguez of Ocean City, Maryland had serious health problems, including a serious form of bronchitis. During a tracheotomy, a surgical procedure to open up her windpipe, Jennie lost a lot of blood and her heart stopped three times.

Continue reading "24-Year-Old Maryland Woman Needed Blood to Survive" »

Jane Frelick of Newark turned 90-years-old on February 16, 2010 and celebrated by saving lives. She gave a platelet donation - just as 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."

Continue reading "90-Year-Old Woman Celebrates Birthday By Giving Platelets" »

66-year-old Dilcia Allen of Newark, DE needed emergency blood transfusions during knee replacement surgery last year. Local blood donors provided what she needed to recover.

84-year-old John Kadtke of Wilmington has been donating blood since his days working at DuPont in the 70's. His blood type is B+ and he remembers being called to donate when his blood was needed.

"One time, many years ago, I donated blood for a patient who had a peptic ulcer and was bleeding in his stomach," said John. "I also remember being called at 4 in the morning to give blood for someone with cancer. I really enjoyed giving blood and helping those patients, and I continued giving blood ever since."

Although John no longer needs to give blood for his membership, he wants to keep giving and does so every few months.

"Just recently, my wife had a stomach condition and she needed four pints of blood to survive," said John. "You never know when you may be faced with this kind of need, and I am proud to do my part to help."

Continue reading "84-Year-Old Reflects on Decades of Giving Blood" »

Terri Schelhouse with her husband, Billy

"I was very sick as a baby and spent several years off and on from 1962-1964 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I had severe gastric issues and, although I didn't require any blood transfusions, I had many other treatments. After numerous tests, doctors were not able to diagnose me and they ultimately told my parents to take me home and love me the best they could because I was not going to survive.

Continue reading "LifeSaver Donor Shares Her Reasons For Giving Blood" »

PICTURED: Theresa (middle) with her brother, sisters, mom and dad.

Theresa Walls began donating blood more than 25 years ago after a family friend suffered severe injuries in a car accident.

"I saw the need firsthand and I wanted to help," said Theresa. "Since then, giving blood has become a way of life for me. I love donating on a regular basis and saving lives."

Then, just recently, the need for blood hit close to home again. Theresa's mother, Agnes, was diagnosed with cancer and needed more than 20 units of blood during aggressive chemotherapy treatments.

Continue reading "LifeSaver Donor Sees Need for Blood Firsthand" »

Laurel Baird donates blood every two months in memory of her son, Doug.

"I have O negative blood, so my blood can go to any patient who needs it," said Laurel. "I donate platelets and red blood cells as often as I can for the people facing a sudden emergency situation or a life-threatening illness, like Doug did."

Laurel with her son, Doug, in 2002

Doug, with his cat, BooBoo

Continue reading "Dover Woman Donates Red Cells and Platelets in Memory of Her Son" »

PICTURED: Paul with his son, Daniel, as the Phillies won the 2008 World Series

"I've been donating blood for more than 20 years. When ALYX (double red cell donation) became available, since I'm O+ and a "good bleeder," I was happy to participate.

Every time I give blood, many gracious volunteers and staff remind me that I am saving lives. What they may not realize is that I do it in part to save my own life. Like most people, my life is hectic and often seems completely out of control. I often worry how the stress will affect my life expectancy. When I give blood, it affords an opportunity to not only help others in need, but to have some time to slow down my motor and to reflect on the many blessings in my life. I've been told that one of the side effects of giving blood is a general feeling of well-being. For me, this is particularly true and it lasts for some time. I urge others to take advantage of this rare "win-win" opportunity regularly!

Continue reading "Blood Donor Paul Keely on What Inspires Him to Give" »

Bill Mariano joined Blood Bank of Delmarva in 1972 after his older brother developed lymphoma and needed a bone marrow transplant. Bill, along with his seven other siblings, discovered that they were not a bone marrow match for their brother and asked the nurse what they could do to help. She told them the next best thing is to donate blood.

Pictured: Bill with his wife, Maria, and two grandchildren.

Continue reading "A Blood Donor's Inspiration to Give: His Brother's Fight with Lymphoma" »

Hanna Richey was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2005, just a decade after recovering from lymphoma. She started chemotherapy and needed a stem cell transplant immediately. Because of the aggressive treatment, Hanna suffered from severely low blood counts and needed eight blood transfusions of platelets and plasma. Thanks to blood transfusions and great medical care, she beat the cancer within a year and has been in remission ever since.

Continue reading "Platelets, Plasma Help Local Cancer Patient Recover" »

Perdue employee Glenn Costa is an engineer by trade - but one of his passions is recruiting blood donors. His wife, Cindy, recently lost her life to lung cancer, and Glenn is honoring her legacy by continuing her dedication to service.

Continue reading "Perdue Employee Honors Wife's Legacy by Recruiting Blood Donors" »

Joe Yaritz was riding his motorcycle down Route 213 in Elkton, MD on June 11 when a car turned into him and hit his leg. He crashed, severely injuring his left leg and suffering multiple fractures and abrasions on his hands and arms. He was losing a lot of blood and was airlifted to the hospital.

Ultimately, Joe lost his leg and needed 47 pints of blood to survive.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Needs 47 Pints of Blood After Crash" »

On Christmas Day of 2008, 4-year-old Brooke Mulford of Salisbury, MD felt sick. She laid on the couch all day instead of playing with her presents from Santa. Over the next week, she fought an ear infection, a sinus infection and severe pains in her legs. In fact, her leg pain got so bad that she couldn't walk. Her parents took her to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where scans revealed cancer in her vertebrae, hips and other bones. She was diagnosed with stage 4 nueroblastoma, a rare cancer with a 30% survival rate.

"Amy and I sat there feeling helpless as our little angel, our most precious thing in life, begins the fight of her life and has to endure such pain," Rob said. "It's been the love and support of our family, friends, and community that has given us the strength to cope."

Continue reading "4-year-old Needs Blood in Treatment of Rare Cancer" »

Rebecca Crosen is a busy wife and mother. She also spends time traveling and representing the state as Mrs. Delaware International 2009. With that kind of schedule, you would never guess that Rebecca is living with a severe case of Anemia that almost took her life.

In the summer of 2004, Rebecca was feeling cold and weak. She went to the doctor and blood work discovered critically low iron levels.

"Average hemoglobin levels in adults range from twelve to seventeen. I was a 3.5," Rebecca said. "My doctor wouldn't let me go home. I had to be driven immediately to the hospital."

Continue reading "Mrs. Delaware International 2009 Lives With Severe Anemia, Needed Blood Transfusions To Survive" »

Jeannette Taylor, RN
Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, MD
Pulmonology

Continue reading ""Giving blood is a part of life... For me, it's as common as going to the mailbox"" »

Without Blood Bank membership, she needed to replace or pay for 49 pints of blood

PICTURED: LaTasha and Aniya

Continue reading "A Sudden Emergency Puts a New Mother's Life in Jeopardy" »

Fran K. of Elkton, Maryland has been a Blood Bank member for about 4 years. He joined to protect his wife and three young children for the cost of replacing the blood they used - if it was ever needed. And then the unthinkable happened.

PICTURED: Fran with his wife, Linda, and 3 children

Continue reading "Blood Bank Membership Protects Family in Elkton" »

"Why do I donate blood so often? Because I have miraculous living proof of how much it's needed," said Eunice P. of Wilmington, Delaware.

Eunice's grandson, Hunter, was born three months early on May 10, 2008. He weighed just 2 pounds, 5 ounces.

Continue reading "Premature Newborn Needs Blood To Survive" »

What do you do for your community? Do you coach the local kids in sports? Or does the thought of being surrounded by dozens of kids (and their victory hungry parents) scare you? Are you a member of your local volunteer fire department? Not into Bingo Night?

Well, I have an easy job for you. All you have to do is sit there and let some one else fuss over you. You get to watch TV and there are cookies when you are done. No, there's no catch. Well, maybe a little one; I'd like you to give blood.

Continue reading "A message from David Schucker, a blood donor in Dover, DE" »

Renee E. of Milford, DE first started donating blood about a decade ago, when she was 19-years-old.

"I moved away from home when I was 17. A good friend, who I looked up to as a mentor, donated blood and that inspired me to give it a try," Renee said.

While Renee was always proud to be a blood donor, she admitted that she felt a little disconnected from her "faceless" good deed because she never saw where the blood was going. That is... until 2 years ago.

Continue reading "Putting a Face to the Need" »

When asked why Robert G. of Dover, Delaware has been a loyal LifeSaver donor over the years, the answer was simple. "Because I can," he said.

Robert has grown up with living proof of the importance of blood donations. His identical twin brother was a "blue baby" at birth, meaning he was born with a congenital heart defect that caused an inadequate oxygenation of his blood.

PICTURED: Robert (on right) with his twin brother, Bill

Continue reading ""I'm Not a Hero... I Donate Blood Because I Can"" »

At just two-months-old, Ke'Asia M. of Wilmington, Delaware was diagnosed with sickle cell disease. This disease is an inherited blood disorder that disfigures red blood cells, making it difficult for them to pass through small blood vessels. In order to avoid life-threatening complications, Ke'Asia, now 5-years-old, needs blood transfusions every 3 weeks - for the rest of her life.

Continue reading "Little Girl With Sickle Cell Disease Needs Blood Transfusions Every 3 Weeks" »

PICTURED: Tom and Joanne in Disney World 2006.

"Since the year 2000, I have given blood as a LifeSaver donor. That was the year my husband, Tom, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He has undergone radiation, chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants. During those treatments, he received many whole blood transfusions, as well as platelets. I wanted to give something back, especially to the cause that saved Tom's life. Tom is doing well these days. We are both grateful for all the donors who made his recovery possible."

- Joanne R. of Middletown, DE - LifeSaver donor since 2000

To make an appointment to donate blood, call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or click HERE.

John S. of Newark, DE is a happy 2-year-old boy. Most would never guess he has Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA), a rare disease that prevents red blood cells from being produced in his bone marrow. John relies on blood transfusions to survive. He has had more than 40 to date.

Continue reading "2-Year-Old Boy Needs Regular Blood Transfusions to Survive" »

Don Lewis of Wilmington, DE donated blood on December 15, 2007 just like he had done for years. But this time he was offered free diabetes screening with his blood donation. Blood Bank of Delmarva had recently become the first blood center in the country to begin screening for the disease. Don agreed to be screened even though he didn't think he was at risk.

"Boy was I wrong. Blood Bank staff called me at home the next day and told me my blood glucose level was 530, which falls in the critical range," Don said. "To be that high is scary. I had no recognizable symptoms."

Continue reading "HIDDEN DIABETES REVEALED BY BLOOD BANK SCREENING" »

It's a parent's worst nightmare. Bruce and Barbara M. of Dover, DE lived it.

Their 2-year-old daughter, Brianna, was diagnosed with JMML, a rare juvenile leukemia. Brianna suddenly faced many serious treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. For about a year and a half, Brianna needed red cell and platelet transfusions every week.

PICTURED: Brianna in 2004.

Continue reading "Girl Needed Transfusions in Fight with Leukemia" »

PICTURED: Judy G. (on right) with family

38-year-old Judy G. has been a Blood Bank LifeSaver donor since high school. For two decades, her blood donations have saved countless lives. But during her visit to give blood in May of 2007, Judy got news that ultimately saved her own life.

It all started when she had her iron levels checked before donating.

Continue reading "BLOOD DONOR TRIED TO SAVE LIVES - BUT GOT NEWS THAT SAVED HER OWN" »

Because it was baby number six for Rhonda M. of Clayton, DE, she expected her pregnancy and delivery to go just as smoothly as for her other children. But at 5 months, Rhonda suddenly went into labor and delivered her son Jonathan. He weighed just one pound, six ounces.

Continue reading "WOMAN GIVES BACK AFTER BLOOD DONORS HELP SAVE HER PREMATURE SON" »

"When I was in college, I studied abroad and lived with a Spanish family in Salamanca, Spain. I formed an instant bond with them, especially my "Spanish sister" - Yolanda Esteban Lopez - who was three years younger than I. We became as close as if we were related by blood.

PICTURED: Irene and her "Spanish sister," Yolanda, in the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca, Spain, in 1995.

Continue reading "Wilmington Woman Donates Blood in Honor of her "Spanish Sister"" »

PICTURED: Chanelle with her husband, Ty

Just three weeks after minor surgery, 35-year-old Chanelle J. of Wilmington, Delaware learned that she had contracted MRSA and had developed a potentially fatal colon infection. Fluid was quickly building and, without an emergency operation, her colon would burst.

Continue reading "Wilmington Woman Needs Blood in Surgery to Survive Potentially Fatal Colon Infection" »

PICTURED: Mary C. with her family

Mary C. of Newark, DE is no stranger to Blood Bank of Delmarva. Her mom Helene has worked as a phlebotomist there for more than 20 years. Mary's husband Ed is a longtime "LifeSaver" donor. But even though she understood the Blood Bank's role in the community, Mary never thought she'd one day owe her life to local blood donors.

A few days after being released from the hospital with her newborn son Brian in 1993, Mary experienced several sudden life-threatening complications and she began bleeding - ultimately losing a considerable amount of blood. At the time, Mary was home alone with 3-day-old Brian.

PICTURED: Mary's newborn son Brian in 1993

Continue reading "New Mom Needs Blood Transfusions To Survive" »

Donor began giving platelets twice a month after wife was diagnosed with leukemia

Continue reading "Wilmington Man Joins Elite Group of Blood Donors with 200th Platelet Donation" »

Michelle G. of Camden, DE spent many years of her life terrified of needles. But after a family tragedy, she overcame her fear and gave back to the very cause that helped prolong her sister's life- by becoming a regular blood donor. It was a cause that also helped her husband survive a serious accident nearly 25 years later.

PICTURED: Michelle with her husband Joe

Continue reading "A FAMILY TRAGEDY ENCOURAGES CAMDEN WOMAN TO BECOME "LIFESAVER" DONOR" »

Deanna B. of Laurel, Delaware says she will always be grateful for the selfless acts of blood donors at Blood Bank of Delmarva.

"I can not even begin to tell you how many blood products my husband has received through the years," Deanna said.

PICTURED: Deanna with her husband Gerry and son Dale on Christmas Day 2006 at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Continue reading "Laurel Woman Gives Back to Blood Bank After Husband's Battle with Leukemia" »

Whitney W. was 18 when she lost her mother to cancer. Since then, she has become a 'blood donor advocate'- giving blood and encouraging others to do the same.

"My mom was sick for 10 years. Every time I walked into the hospital to visit her, I could see reasons to give blood. There were patients everywhere I looked who needed transfusions."

PICTURED: Whitney, left, with her sister in front of the Blood Bank "Bloodmobile."

Continue reading "Whitney's Story: Donating Blood in Honor of her Mother" »

"Ever since I was little girl, I hated needles. I used to dread doctor visits and shots and I would have done anything to avoid them. When the opportunity to give blood was presented to me, I would turn it down. I just couldn't make myself go to the blood drive, even though I knew my blood donation could help save someone's life.

That was before the accident- the day my life changed forever," said Meghan M., Blood Bank of Delmarva member.

PICTURED: Meghan with her boyfriend, David, who needed 124 units of blood to survive a motorcycle accident.

Continue reading "Young Woman Encourages Blood Donation After Serious Motorcycle Crash" »

PICTURED: Robert Bruner, left, poses with his family in front of the Blood Bank's Christiana Center.

Continue reading "NEWARK MAN MAKES 200TH PLATELET DONATION- INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL BLOOD DONATION HALL OF FAME" »

Continue reading "Why Give Blood? - Here is just one story from a local hero." »

Andrew, age 14, was proud to be a 'straight-A' student at Salesianum School. Andrew had charisma, a fun-loving personality, and an affectionate nature. He excelled at all sports, particularly soccer and baseball.

But on January 27, 2007, everything changed.

Continue reading ""B+": An Inspirational Story about 14-Year-Old Andrew McDonough" »

At 2 months old, Gabrielle A. of Wilmington was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal liver disease. Each day, Gabrielle's skin and the whites of her eyes became more yellow. She was constantly scratching her skin because of the disease. She desperately needed a new liver.

PICTURED: Gabrielle, 18, with her parents Gabe and Eve at their Wilmington home.

Continue reading "Blood Transfusions Help Infant Battle Potentially Fatal Liver Disease" »

Matthew G. is your typical 18-year-old. The Pocomoke High School senior plays tennis, runs track and works as a lifeguard at the YMCA. Looking up at the 6-foot, 6-inch slender teen, one might never guess how a holiday gift in 1994 changed his life forever.

Continue reading "A 5-Year-Old's Sudden Accident Inspires "Award-Winning" Blood Drives at Pocomoke High School" »

Kim W., 33, had the 'perfect pregnancy.'

"My water broke early in the morning," she said. "The baby was out in three pushes- it was easy labor."

But then something went wrong. She couldn't stop bleeding. Kim was rushed back to the emergency room for immediate surgery. She needed a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding.

Continue reading "New Mom Needed 87 Pints of Blood to Survive Birth of Daughter" »

Corrine B. of Northeast, MD was only two years old when she contracted mononucleosis. The illness quickly turned into a rare blood disorder called HLH (Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis), which often affects infants and young children.

Corrine needed about 140 units of red cells, platelets and plasma throughout her chemotherapy treatment to survive.

Continue reading "Hundreds of Blood Donors Save the Life of Local 3-Year-Old Girl" »

Suzy Y., 35, was getting ready to deliver her second child by cesarean section- but she wasn't worried. She had delivered her first child by C-section and everything went smoothly.

But this time, things were different.

Continue reading "Wilmington Woman Needs Emergency Blood Transfusion After Giving Birth" »

Three years ago, triplets- Hailey, Hunter and Kaitlyn C. of Northeast, MD- were born prematurely at just 27 weeks. Each baby needed blood transfusions to survive.

Continue reading "Triplets From Northeast, MD Need Blood Transfusions to Survive" »

Newborn Christopher P. was diagnosed with Rh disease, a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder that destroys red blood cells. From birth, every inch of Christopher's skin was bathed in light in an effort to combat the jaundicing effects of his life-threatening illness. After weeks of hospitalization and constant care, Christopher required an emergency blood transfusion.

Continue reading "Rare Blood Disorder Attacks Newborn" »

When Alex K. and his twin brother William of Middletown were born 3 months early, they each weighed less than 3 pounds. Alex suffered an abruption, which means the placenta began to separate from the wall of his mother's uterus before he was born. After birth, Alex was rushed to intensive care at Christiana Hospital and needed blood transfusions to survive.

Continue reading "Twin Boys Home By Christmas Because of Local Blood Donors" »

Ryan S. of Newark was born nearly three months early, weighing just 2 pounds. Because his digestive system was so immature, Ryan developed a severe infection in his intestines. Doctors were forced to take his blood for testing around the clock, but his body was unable to make new blood. The infection became more severe and Ryan had only a 35% chance of survival.

Continue reading "Blood Donors Save Life of Premature Baby" »