Audrey and Evan’s Story: Mother and Son Go for Gold Supporting Patients
Earlier this year, milestone donor Audrey Gold had a very special donation appointment. At the same time that she gave her 164th donation at Stanford Blood Center, her 16-year-old son, Evan, gave his very first.
Audrey has been donating blood for over 30 years. Her first experience with donation was back in college, when her dorm was hosting a mobile blood drive. Though she had never experienced blood need in her family and had very little knowledge about the process, it seemed to her it was only natural to help out. “I’m thankful for my health and it’s something I can do for other people,” she said.
Her initial experience was a positive one, and she has been committed to donation ever since, striving for her annual Four Seasons t-shirt and encouraging others to donate — including her son. Evan turned 16 at the very end of 2020 and for him, too, donation just seemed like the right thing to do.
“I turned 16 and normally you celebrate by getting your driver’s license, but the DMV was closed, so I celebrated by donating blood instead,” Evan joked. “I’m healthy and able-bodied, so I’m happy that this is something I can do to help others.” Evan is also a cyclist and noted that, should he ever have an accident and need a transfusion, he will feel better knowing that he will have donated more blood to support other patients than he will have had to use himself.
The first-time donor process for Evan was special for both mother and son. Evan expressed his gratitude for the friendly team members who welcomed them; plus, thanks to Audrey’s regular donations, she was wonderful at making Evan feel comfortable and prepared as they walked through the process, which he found to be “remarkably straightforward.”
Both Audrey and Evan are looking forward to saving more lives together by continuing to donate blood, and they urge anyone who is healthy and eligible to join them in supporting local patients. “About 38% of people are eligible to donate blood, but less than 10% actually do,” Audrey noted.
“If you can donate, there’s really no downside,” Evan added.
Stanford Blood Center is thrilled to add another Gold to the SBC family and looks forward to more double donations from the pair. We are especially thankful for the effort these two are making to keep up donations in a time when many donors (especially high school students, who largely rely on the convenience of blood drives held on school campuses) are unable to do so. Thanks to Audrey and Evan for being such an inspiring duo and for saving lives together!