SBC Stories

While plasma had been transfused as part of whole blood for hundreds of years, the specific value of plasma became acutely clear as a result of the devastating violence of WWII. Though plasma could not replace lost red cells and platelets, plasma and its related products were far easier to transport than whole blood (which…

Our milestone donors are the heartbeat of SBC. From time-to-time, we like to give a special shout-out to those who have gone above and beyond to help support patients in need. Gary Cooper recently made his 400th milestone donation at our South Bay center. Our Public Relations Officer, Ross Coyle, interviewed the San Jose resident about…

Here at SBC, we love to celebrate our incredible milestone donors and the impact they’ve had on helping support patients in our community. Gail Brian recently made her 400th milestone donation. Ross Coyle, Public Relations Officer, interviewed the Menlo Park resident about what inspires her to donate and what keeps her coming back all these years….

“I’ve been a regular blood donor my whole adult life, and I’ve been humbled to be on the receiving end for a change.”   Amber Kerr is many things. A scholar, a university lecturer, a world traveler, a mother of three, an avid blood donor — and, as of late last year, a blood recipient….

By Krista Thomas, Communications Strategist Gracielle Lee went into labor with her first and only child, Bryson, when she was just 22 weeks pregnant. At such a critical period, she, her husband Barry and their care team were anxious to delay delivery as long as possible. “Bryson’s likelihood of surviving at 22 weeks was very...

By Krista Thomas, Communications Strategist Brad Hart is a fifth-generation medical professional and comes from a history of medical innovation. His great, great grandfather, Andrew Jackson Hart, was an OBGYN; his great grandfather, Arch Coombs Hart, was a practicing dentist, and one of the first  to lecture that tooth decay was caused by bacteria; his...

We hope everyone had a very happy Father’s Day! It’s one of life’s joys to be able to spend quality time with your family on special occasions. Our Marketing and Communications Specialist, Felicia Gonsalves, knows first-hand the impact blood donors have on patients’ lives. She shares her story of how her family came awfully close…

Balaji Iyer recently made his 100th milestone blood donation at our Mountain View center — a moment he had hoped to share with someone very special. Unfortunately, illness delayed his 16-year-old daughter Satvika from making her very first donation that same day. But sometimes things have a funny way of working out. Satvika finally got a…

Here at SBC, we love to celebrate our incredible milestone donors and the impact they’ve had on helping support patients in our community. Glenys Chow recently made her 200th donation at our Mountain View center. Ross Coyle, Public Relations Officer, interviewed the Mountain View resident about what inspires her to donate blood and what keeps her…

We hope everyone had a very happy Father’s Day! It’s one of life’s joys to be able to spend quality time with your family on special occasions. Our Marketing and Communications Specialist, Felicia Gonsalves, knows first-hand the impact blood donors have on patients’ lives. She shares her story of how her family came awfully close…

By Krista Thomas, Communications Strategist When we talk about saving lives at SBC, it’s usually in the context of donating blood. However, service to others can take many forms, with one of the most impactful being military service. Next week is Veterans Day so, in the spirit of honoring those who serve, we are featuring...

In honor of International Women's Day, we interviewed just a few of the incredible women in leadership who make our work possible here at SBC. See what they had to say about their experience as women in their field below. Who has empowered/inspired you to be the leader you are today? Alison Hopkins “My mom...

In honor of National Best Friends Day this year, we interviewed two of our most dedicated SBC volunteers: Dan Rhoads and John Henry. Though their backgrounds are in some ways quite opposite (“yin and yang,” as they say), the two met and have formed a strong bond, largely through their joint commitment to blood donation…

When Rachel Ren* was a junior, she was thrilled at the opportunity to give blood at her high school’s SBC mobile drive. Rachel had never had an experience with blood donation before — never had a family member need blood that she could remember, never needed blood herself — but she felt called to help….

It’s time for your winter Volunteer Spotlight! Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is incredibly thankful for our volunteers, who play a very important role in our health care community. It is our pleasure to introduce one of our wonderful helpers, Jennifer Harris.   Why do you volunteer at SBC? I believe in the importance of volunteering…