As COVID-19 cases surge once again throughout the state, SBC is seeing a spike in demand for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP), which is donated from recovered COVID-19 patients due to the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies it contains. CCP is being transfused into hospitalized COVID-19 patients to aid in their recovery, and though this treatment option is still…

Need a playlist to get you pumped up about donation? We’ve compiled a sampling of some of our favorite songs with “blood” in the title in a variety of genres for you to blast in the car on the way to your next donation appointment (or to dance around your house, to play on your…

We would like to take this opportunity to provide some additional information about coronavirus and blood donation. Our hope is that people interested in donating blood consider all of the facts of the situation, namely that COVID-19 does not pose any special risk to blood donors during the donation process or from attending blood drives....

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…

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…

In honor of National Best Friends Day being this week, we’re sharing the story of 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…

¿Primera vez donando sangre? Encuentre más información sobre el proceso de donación y a quién podría ayudar, en nuestra página de donantes por primera vez. Puede traducir cualquier página de nuestro sitio web al español eligiendo del menú desplegable “Select Language” en la parte superior de esta página. ¿Prefieres hablar español cuando vienes a donar? Bienvenido! Únase…

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,…

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...

Geoff Belanger, Performance Improvement Analyst,  has worked at Stanford Blood Center for 17 years in a variety of positions. His connection to blood banking and SBC specifically, however, goes much deeper, is much more personal, than his day-to-day role. Soon after Geoff was born, he was diagnosed with Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a blood disorder that means…

By Rick Singer, guest blogger and COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor I know we’re all feeling it. I know we’re all cooped up, messed up and uptight. But I am also painfully aware that, as worn out as we all are during the biggest human crisis of our lifetimes, there are very real strides being taken,…

By Harpreet Sandhu, Executive Director For the last three months or so, our world here in the Bay Area has been colored completely by COVID-19. We have all had to make adjustments, make sacrifices and work as a team to support those who are most at risk during this pandemic. So far, thanks to all…