Growing up in a small rural town in Texas, blood drives at Bláz Bush’s high school were a community event. Students were eager to participate, perhaps because it meant skipping class and enjoying free cookies. But for Bláz, these events were filled with a sense of unease. Students often made jokes and disparaging remarks about…

By Samm Baker, Communications Strategist Stanford Blood Center’s own Melissa Lichauco has been given an extraordinary opportunity to continue her late husband Anthony’s legacy by participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Visionaries of the Year campaign. This campaign is not only about fundraising; it’s about bringing hope to families fighting blood cancers and…

At Stanford Blood Center (SBC), we’re proud to celebrate the compassion and community spirit of our youngest donors through the launch of our brand-new Red Cord Program. Introduced this year, the program was created to re-engage high school students in blood donation efforts following the challenges of the pandemic—and to recognize their lifesaving contributions in a…

Since 2007, Jaime Eredia has been the driving force behind the Stanford School of Engineering’s blood drives by organizing and promoting them, and often rolling up his own sleeve to donate. But as Jaime prepares to retire from his role as the blood drive coordinator, he leaves a lasting impact on the lives of countless patients in…

Some people donate blood once or twice in their lives. Others make it a regular habit. And then there’s Eric Steger. His passion for giving has led him to explore a variety of opportunities to help patients in need. From stem cells to solid organ donations, plus an incredible 200 blood donations (and counting), Eric’s…

Black History Month is a time to reflect on the extraordinary contributions of Black scientists and medical professionals whose innovations have shaped modern medicine. From groundbreaking discoveries in transfusion medicine to pioneering research in immunology and pathology, these individuals represent a small fraction of the contributions of Black scientists and innovators who have left an...

Henrietta Lacks was born on August 1, 1920, in Roanoke, Virginia. After her mother’s death in 1924, she was sent to live with her grandfather in Clover, Virginia, where she shared a home with her cousin, David “Day” Lacks. The two later married in 1941 and had five children. Seeking better opportunities, they moved to...

By Praveen Gurunath Bharathi My journey as a blood donor began with a personal family emergency. Years ago, my uncle in India needed blood for his heart surgery. I remember feeling apprehensive at first, unsure if I would even be eligible to donate due to my weight. But I decided to try, and it was…

Amy Malvase hadn’t given much thought to the idea of blood donation until spending time at her dad’s side during his treatment for a gastrointestinal bleed. He struggled with low hemoglobin, requiring several blood transfusions. “There was one time when he needed a more urgent transfusion,” she recalls. “We were so fortunate that the blood…

Annie Shiau’s journey as a blood donor began when she was just 16 as an American living overseas in Taipei. Back then, she would often pass by the bloodmobiles and feel a pull to help, but because she wasn’t a resident, she wasn’t eligible to donate. “As a teenager, I wanted to help, so it…

Many of our donors have a personal motivation behind donating blood. Julie Fogarty, from a closely connected family with a unique medical history, exemplifies this. Here, she recounts her family’s enduring struggle with leukemia, spanning three generations, and her deep gratitude for blood donors whose generosity helped extend her relatives’ lives. By Julie Fogarty My…

By Julie Peachey, Public Relations Officer We first introduced you to young Hadley in January 2021 when she was just six years old and a year into her treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Hadley had started kindergarten in the fall of 2019 when she began experiencing pain in her legs, causing her to limp and…