July 24, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Dr. Jennifer Andrews, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology (Transfusion Medicine) and Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology)
When I first met Katelyn Do, she had already been diagnosed by my Pediatric Hematology colleagues with severe aplastic anemia. That means essentially that her bone marrow was no longer producing any blood cells, including white blood cells (in charge of fighting infections), red blood cells (in charge of carrying oxygen to all the organs in the body) and platelets (in charge of stopping any bleeding).
July 20, 2012 at 11:12 am
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center
A heroic red blood cell - courageous, selfless, hard-working, picking up billions of oxygen molecules in the alveoli and coursing through the heart and every corner of the body electric feeding hungry tissues
July 13, 2012 at 10:50 am
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center
Red blood cell (RBC) antigens have to be good for something - nature doesn't make useless things for no reason. We have similar ABO antigens to some on bacteria, pollen, grains, etc., and these may be involved in stimulating the production of our natural anti-A and anti-B antigens.
July 10, 2012 at 8:42 am
Published by Stanford Blood Center
On June 6, 2011, Melissa and her husband, Tim, and 3-year-old son, Flynn, welcomed twin boys, Keane and Hayes, into their family. Melissa's pregnancy and delivery had been normal. The twins were healthy and together weighed over 14 pounds which is considered big for twins. After a typical recovery period, Melissa went home to care for her family. "To me, my family was perfect and complete," she said.
July 3, 2012 at 11:06 am
Published by Stanford Blood Center
A Poem by Gil Gonzales, Stanford Blood Center Donor
The greatest of gifts that costs nothing to give
A gift of hope that offers a family a sense of relief
Just a little of your time, so that another may live
A minor inconvenience that spares others major grief
Offering the gift of life from one's own veins
June 29, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Published by Stanford Blood Center
On Sunday, July 1st, Stanford Blood Center will be hosting a blood drive for 4-year-old Gabriella Cosner. Gabriella (Gaby) has Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare but treatable cancer. For months now, she has been fighting her cancer with chemotherapy and an incredible support team, Team G.
June 27, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center
Donating blood together with friends or family members can be a rewarding experience of supporting patients in need while also building a sense of community with each other. A few years ago, we introduced our Center drive program to accommodate a growing number of inquiries about small, organized group donations - a great option when there may not be enough people to make a mobile blood drive feasible.
June 20, 2012 at 11:32 am
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center
It seems a rotavirus strain is using the sugar at the end of the type-A molecule as a doorway to the inside of cells. "A sugar molecule linked to type-A blood helps the rotavirus strain invade cells in the gastrointestinal tract," a study has shown. "The virus is the leading cause of severe dehydration and diarrhea in infants, and causes an estimated 500,000 deaths worldwide each year. Specific blood group molecules are already known to promote infection by the stomach bug Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and norovirus."
June 14, 2012 at 10:29 am
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Dayna Myers, Marketing Communications Manager, Stanford Blood Center
Around the world today, nations will celebrate blood donors in honor of World Blood Donor Day. In Iran, a trio of cyclists will wind up a 17-day challenge ride from the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization in Tehran to the Ankara Blood Bank. Nigeria's Health Minister marked the occasion by donating blood in Abuja. And in Korea, this year's host country, the celebration began in February, when over 3,000 people donned red and broke the Guinness World Record for the world's largest human blood drop formation.
June 12, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Published by Stanford Blood Center
By Harpreet Sandhu, Administrator, Stanford Blood Center
Jim Early is an extraordinarily dedicated blood donor. One of our "frequent flyers," he has logged over 300 donations with Stanford Blood Center. He even keeps the Blood Center in mind when he plans his summer travel, because travel to malarial risk zones (such as India, parts of Mexico, and parts of Costa Rica) can lead to a one-year deferral from donating blood.
