By Donors & Friends of SBC
Last year for Valentine's Day, we asked you to write haiku poems for those closest to your heart. The response was better than anticipated so we asked for your poems again this year, this time to be written about donating blood and the patients who are fortunate to receive it. In addition to sharing them below, we've turned your three-line works of "heart" into cards, to be delivered to patients at the Palo Alto VA Hospital later this week.
By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "About 1,500 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. The vast majority of cases in the United States are in travelers and immigrants returning from countries where malaria transmission occurs, many from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia."
By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center
Do you consider blood type an important criterion for compatibility with the potential special someone in your life? According to Jenny Nakao Hones, a Japanese American who studies Asian cultures, superstitions, and customs, "One of the most popular methods in Japan that is gaining popularity around Asia is blood type analysis. Similar to other horoscope systems, blood type
has charts that indicate compatibility."
By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center
As a blood donor, you are a giving individual by design. We're certain you would donate without recognition and regardless of the day's giveaway. That said, it's important to our organization that we don't take the people behind the blood donations for granted. You are part of a very important, very small population and your loyalty to patients in the community deserves to be recognized.
I am an active 43 year old woman with a strong love for life. I am living with terminal breast cancer and acute leukemia (AML). As a result, I am transfusion dependent and now receive blood and platelets on a weekly basis.
By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center
A unit of blood does so much for patients in need. The gift of life is donated, tested, processed and sent to hospitals' transfusion service departments where more important work is done to ensure it is compatible with the recipient.
By Bonnie Westman with the Los Gatos Patch.
Since 2006, Linda Swenberg and Michelle Abene donate platelets at Stanford Blood Center, in addition to significant volunteer work in the community.
By Melissa Ramos, volunteer guest-blogger for Stanford Blood Center
John Paul Mayor is one of our very regular platelet donors. For our #WhyIGiveBlood campaign, we picked his brain about what inspired him to become a regular donor.
By Amanda Baker, Communications Intern, Stanford Blood Center
Think globally, act locally
help globally? At Stanford Blood Center, each of these are possible because now your blood donation that will save a life in your community can also help save lives overseas. Our online store recently added an option of donating the points you receive for giving blood towards helping blood centers in Nigeria, as part of the Safe Blood Africa Project.
By John Williams, Marketing Manager, Stanford Blood Center
Living in the Bay Area has many advantages, not least of which is the plethora of opportunities to spend leisure time. With so many competing activities available, it's easy to miss some gems. For instance, the Palo Alto Adult School (PAAS), a provider of courses for both self-enrichment and job-training. Of course, Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is not a bad place to devote a little time either, especially if you're interested in helping patients. But people need to know about these organizations in order to take advantage of them.