Roughly three weeks before any social distancing regulations were instituted in the Bay Area, back when local COVID-19 cases were few and seemingly contained, Kendra Nash went on a long-anticipated ski trip with 11 of her close friends. What was...
At just 19 years old, Julie Cruzal’s world was shaken when, for the first time that she could remember, it was her own hero — her mom — who needed saving. On that fateful day, Julie witnessed the terrifying consequences...
John Tallarida has been an active and passionate blood donor for most of his adult life. When John was only about nine years old, his father was hit by a tractor rig in a devastating accident, after which the doctors...
This summer, Stanford Blood Center (SBC) and LifeServe Blood Center brought together two very special heroes. Shanti Minkstein, a photographer from San Francisco, California, and Lance Becker, a banker from Des Moines, Iowa, joined a Zoom call to discuss their...
As a pilot, Robert Jendrey is always on the go. And while typically having the ability to travel around the world is considered a great luxury, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in its infancy and suspicion of global transmission was...
In early March, COVID-19, while present in San Mateo County, was still reported to be a low health risk to the general public. In fact, the first case of unknown origin in the county had just been identified March 2....
If you’re a regular at our South Bay Center, you may know one of our dedicated platelet donors, Chuck Fannin. Standing at 6’10” and wearing bright pink high-top basketball shoes, Chuck never misses an opportunity to give his three bags...
Battalion Chief Joe Novelli has been a firefighter in San Mateo county for roughly 33 years. Having worked through many dangerous fires and emergency situations, Joe is no stranger to saving lives of individuals in the community. Now, after becoming...
By Rick Singer, guest blogger and COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor I know we’re all feeling it. I know we’re all cooped up, messed up and uptight. But I am also painfully aware that, as worn out as we all are...
In late February, Belmont resident Fred van den Haak gave his 600th blood donation with Stanford Blood Center. Though currently in his 70s, Fred has been a dedicated blood donor and highly service-oriented since he was young. “My first donation...