Diaries of a Platelet Donor
In 1989, I was the victim of a serious motorcycle accident. My left leg and hip were seriously injured – I suffered from a broken hip socket, compound fractures of my tibia and fibula, and other issues. I spent a...
Donor Stories
Why I Love to Roll Up My Sleeves
By Bruce Anderson, guest blogger When I first started giving blood, I was terrified of needles and syringes and would become light-headed at the mere suggestion of them. But I had grown up in a small town where the community...
Two Strangers Bound Together By Be The Match
Justin joined the Be the Match registry approximately 13 years ago while attending the Stanford Medicine Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Reunion. His decision to join was a simple one, as cancer has been a significant theme in his life, and...
An Accident, a Life Saved, a Calling: Why One Man Donates Blood
By Ben Ballard, donor The overwhelming feeling of gratitude hits me at times when I stop to ponder it, yet one thing remains constant: she is alive and thriving. It is almost unbelievable to me that April 2015 will mark...
A Birthday Celebration to Honor a Daughter’s Memory
Today we bring you the story of one of our donors, Aly. Her journey of love, loss and perseverance led Aly to become a donor with Stanford Blood Center (SBC). Aly donated blood for the first time when she was...
Tony
My donation story starts from when I was very young. My grandmother was a severe hemophiliac. I was used to seeing her in the hospital getting blood transfusions. Once I became an adult, I realized the best way I could...
Susan
I started donating when my cousin’s wife was diagnosed with leukemia. In the face of this tragic disease, she not only thought of herself, but of others as well. She kept family and friends informed of her progress and treatments,...
Sandra
Today is my 99th whole blood donation. My husband and I started donating about 19 years ago as one of our first dates. We had been dating about 3 months, and my son’s elementary school was having a blood drive...
Pati
My first donation was in 1977 at a mobile blood drive at my company. My girlfriend encouraged me, as she was a regular donor. I, among many others at work, didn’t really see the need and was apprehensive to give...
Mike
When I was 17, I was in a skiing accident that left me in a coma and requiring immediate brain surgery to remove a blood clot from my left frontal lobe. I owe my life to the paramedics and brain...