Big-Time Blood Donors to be Honored Oct. 22 by Stanford Blood Center

October, 2009
Attention News Desk: Press Release (for immediate release)
MEDIA CONTACT:
Michele Hyndman (650) 723-8237
mhyndman@stanford.edu

(NOTE: Media members are invited to attend the breakfast at the Palo Alto Sheraton Hotel, and can make arrangements by contacting Michele Hyndman at 650-799-9885.)

STANFORD, Calif. — Mountain View resident David Mitchell has given blood 625 times, starting in 1954 when he joined the military at age 17. He will be one of the donors to have given blood at least 100 times who will be honored by the Stanford Blood Center on Oct. 22.

Several hundred donors and blood center staff will gather at the Sheraton Hotel, 625 El Camino Real in Palo Alto, to celebrate the group’s life-saving commitment to their community.

Also among the honorees will be Mary Nelson of Redwood City, who has given 318 times and has a son and daughter-in-law who have also given more than 100 times; Dennis Briskin of Palo Alto has given 278 times and started to donate at the Stanford Blood Center the first year it opened its doors in 1978; Eric Buhr of Campbell has given 491 times and often volunteers at the center’s donor events; and Donald Durr of Los Altos who has given 416 times, adding that the recipients’ stories are what keeps him donating.

This year, blood recipient Brennah Payne will be on hand to thank donors. Brennah was 7 when she was in a head-on automobile collision with a semi-trailer. She had massive internal abdominal damage, her bowel was severed in five places and her spine was broken. Brennah was rushed to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for treatment. After 22 procedures, including nine major surgeries and many transfusions of plasma and red blood cells, Brennah is doing well.

As holder of the Missette Butte County title in northern California, she throws opening pitches at baseball games, sings the national anthem and delivers speeches and presentations advocating blood donations. Now, five years later, Brennah is back in Palo Alto to thank the blood center’s most dedicated donors—some of whose blood may have saved her life.

Currently, the blood center is below minimum inventory in six out of eight blood types. “In addition to celebrating our most dedicated donors, we hope this event inspires others in our community to donate blood. There’s no substitute for human blood, and Stanford Blood Center needs new people to make the commitment to save lives,” said Michele Hyndman, spokesperson for the center.

The blood center serves patients at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Clinic, El Camino Hospital, O’Connor Hospital, the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, the Livermore Veterans Affairs Hospital and three freestanding local surgery centers.

Donors can call (650) 723-7831 or toll-free (888) 723-7831 to make an appointment and get directions. Donors should be in good health with no cold or flu symptoms. They must eat well prior to donation, drink fluids and present photo identification at the time of donation. The process takes about an hour. For more information or to schedule an appointment online, please visit https://bloodcenter-stg.stanford.edu.

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The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation’s top 10 medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html