San Ramon Family to Hold Blood Drive Benefitting Stanford Blood Center On Feb. 25

February 15, 2012
Attention News Desk: Press Release (for immediate release)
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dayna Kerecman Myers (202) 669-2921
daynam@stanford.edu

WHAT: “Pay it Forward” blood drive
WHO: Media and people interested in donating blood are invited
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25, from noon to 5 p.m.
WHERE: 209 Hat Creek Court, San Ramon, Calif., 94582

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Blood Center bloodmobile will be parked at the San Ramon home of 15-year-old heart transplant recipient Kevin Murphy for the third annual “Pay it Forward” blood drive on Feb. 25 from noon to 5 p.m.

In early 2009, Kevin’s health declined rapidly over the course of a month because of dilated cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle. His only chance for survival was an immediate heart transplant. On Feb. 20, the Murphy family will celebrate the third anniversary of Kevin’s transplant surgery.

“After having Kevin be so close to death and having him recover so well, we felt compelled as a family to do something. We were so grateful,” said Dianna Murphy, Kevin’s mother and the blood drive coordinator. “Donating blood was the best way we could think of to pay it forward.”

Today, Kevin is in high school and has many of the same interests as his peers. He enjoys baseball, Xbox and listening to music on his iPod.

Last year, the drive collected 82 units of blood, an increase of 21 units over 2010. In addition to friends and family, donors included passers-by and members of the community with personal connections to blood transfusions. “Our community is so supportive,” Dianna Murphy said. “I had a feeling that the blood drive would be successful, but I had no idea of the magnitude.”

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 call (888) 723-7831 or visit smstaging.stanford.edu/bloodcenter.

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The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation’s top 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.

Stanford Blood Center was created at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978 to meet the complex transfusion needs of Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, as well as provide tailored blood products and clinical trial services for school researchers. Today the center provides blood products to eight local hospitals and is a recognized leader in the field of transfusion medicine. More information is available at https://bloodcenter-stg.stanford.edu.