SBC Stories

Every year, 15,780 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer. In fact, according to Children’s Cancer Research Fund, each day, 43 families in the United States will hear that their child has cancer. That’s why we observe September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – to increase awareness for types of cancer that affect…

Mother’s Day was this past weekend, and we hope you enjoyed your time with the mothers in your life! Although the day may have passed, we want to continue to appreciate moms all over by taking a moment to celebrate some of the mothers touched by blood donation that we have had the privilege to get…

Mr. Manmohan (Mohan) Mahal claims it has taken him over twenty years to understand his “journey.” It is because of this journey that he is now driven to give back to the world and inspire others. But first, he needed a change of heart. Born in Amritsar, India, Mohan lived most of his life in New Delhi and…

In 1989, I was the victim of a serious motorcycle accident. My left leg and hip were seriously injured – I suffered from a broken hip socket, compound fractures of my tibia and fibula, and other issues. I spent a miserable month in the hospital before having to learn to walk again. Through all of…

By Bruce Anderson, guest blogger When I first started giving blood, I was terrified of needles and syringes and would become light-headed at the mere suggestion of them. But I had grown up in a small town where the community blood drive made the front page of the local paper, which listed every donor and paid…

Justin joined the Be the Match registry approximately 13 years ago while attending the Stanford Medicine Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Reunion. His decision to join was a simple one, as cancer has been a significant theme in his life, and his choice that day led to Justin saving a life several years later. The Other…

Did you know that when you give blood with Stanford Blood Center (SBC), you’re not only helping local patients today, but you may also be contributing to medical research that will benefit the patients of tomorrow? During the platelet process for instance, white blood cells — which are not suitable for transfusion and are typically...

It’s time for another Volunteer Spotlight! Stanford Blood Center would be nothing without our volunteers, so it is our pleasure to help you get to know one of our wonderful helpers, former SBC Collections Manager Chiqui Lopez-Tecson. Why do you volunteer at SBC? It is an excellent organization to spend some of my time with,…

Beginning January 8, we expanded our collections to include plasma products drawn on the ALYX machine. The ALYX machine is an apheresis machine that separates and collects various blood components and returns what we aren’t using to the donor — if you’ve done a double red blood cell (DRBC) donation, then you’ve donated through the…