SBC Stories connects blood donors and patients though storytelling, with new weekly articles on our blog, HemoBLOGin, featured patient stories and videos, and publications. Our patient stories inspire and move us to be of service the most vulnerable in our community, and our donor stories illustrate the many ways donors make a difference in patients’ lives every day.
HemoBLOGin — The Stanford Blood Center Blog (Read All)
SBC South Bay Donor Center Featured in Healthcare Design Magazine
Congrats to the Taylor Design Firm and all those involved in making the South Bay Donor Center a reality! Our Campbell facility is featured in this month’s Healthcare Design Magazine.
Knoll’s Story: A Premie’s Not-So-Little Battle
As first-time parents, Kylie De La O-Menard and her husband Guillaume Menard knew that there were many challenges they would have to work through as part of learning to care for a new baby — the exhaustion, the baby’s crying, the frequent nursing. Leading up to the birth of their son Knoll, however, these challenges…
Andrew’s Story: Fighting Back With COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma
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. So, when Andrew Armstrong, a healthy and athletic father of two young boys, began experiencing…
Patient Stories (Read All)
Knoll’s Story: A Premie’s Not-So-Little Battle
As first-time parents, Kylie De La O-Menard and her husband Guillaume Menard knew that there were many challenges they would have to work through as part of learning to care for a new baby — the exhaustion, the baby’s crying, the frequent nursing. Leading up to the birth of their son Knoll, however, these challenges…
Teddy’s Story: Overcoming Acute Myeloid Leukemia
When Teddy Oh was 18 months old, his mother and father, Won and Jin, knew something was not right. Teddy had had a persistent cough, and though his doctors did not think much of it at first, the cough was quickly compounded with additional symptoms, principally lethargy and distention of his stomach. A week after…
Nicole’s Story: Fighting Aplastic Anemia with “Little Bags of Life”
Donor Stories (Read All)
Andrew’s Story: Fighting Back With COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma
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. So, when Andrew Armstrong, a healthy and athletic father of two young boys, began experiencing…
Chuck’s Story: A Lifesaving Legacy
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 of platelets to help patients in need. His personal connection to giving blood, from both…
Joe’s Story: Firefighter, COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Donor, Community Hero
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 the first firefighter in the county to be diagnosed with and eventually recover from COVID-19,…
Team SBC Stories (Read All)
Dan’s Story: Giving Back Globally
In December 2019, Dan Gross joined SBC as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, he provides strategic direction and oversees everyday operations that impact the entire donation experience, from the moment a donor is called about giving blood to when the prepared product is shipped out to a local patient. While working at a…
A Passion for Patient Care: Isaac’s Journey From Navy Corpsman to SBC’s Asst. Director of Research & Clinical Services
Isaac Moreno, SBC’s Assistant Director of Research and Clinical Services, spends his day-to-day helping the Blood Center ensure that any blood components that cannot be transfused to current patients are used to support research on groundbreaking cures and therapies for the patients of the future. Isaac’s commitment to service, and particularly to helping patients, goes...
Bethany Owen and the Highland Games
The Highland Games are a unique Scottish athletic competition dating back to around the fifth century in Scotland. The Games involve a series of eight individual events, some of which are changed out each competition, though the typical mainstays include a light and heavy weighted throw for distance, a light and heavy stone throw, a…
SBC Volunteer Stories (Read All)
Dan and John’s Story: Building Community Through Service
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…
Closer to Home: When Blood Donation Gets Personal
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….
Volunteer Spotlight — Jennifer Harris
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…