World Sickle Cell Day: The importance of a diverse blood supply

Posted on June 19, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Akash Mallady, Red Cross volunteer

More than 100,000 people in the United States live with sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disease where red blood cells take on a different shape that leads to complications. They become rigid and characteristically crescent-shaped instead of the typical soft, round structure. The misshapen cells carry less oxygen and get stuck in blood vessels, which can leave patients feeling immense pain episodes and the potential for a stroke. While many see blood transfusions as an option during an emergency, they are a normal and necessary part of life for those managing sickle cell from childhood to adulthood.

Sickle Cell Warrior Alijah Ellis speaking on a panel at the 2026 Sickle Cell Brunch at the American Red Cross of Northern Ohio headquarters in Cleveland.

Research has shown that sickle cell disease affects the US population in a disproportionate way. More than 90% of people with sickle cell disease in the United States are Black or African American, and 3%-9% are Hispanic or Latino. According to the CDC, people with sickle cell disease have a life expectancy that is 20 years shorter than average.

Maintaining an adequate blood supply, particularly from diverse donors, is one way the American Red Cross is working to combat this.

Blood donor diversity matters for sickle cells because blood compatibility can go deeper than just blood type. Red blood cells carry antigens, which are proteins on their surface. A patient can receive a safer and more effective transfusion if it comes from a donor whose antigen profile matches more closely. Often sickle cell patients can receive frequent transfusions of mismatched blood, and their immune system can create antibodies against these mismatched antigens. This increases the complexity of finding matches for in future transfusions. Ultimately, similar ethnic backgrounds are more likely to have a shared antigen profile, making representation in the donor population a clinical necessity.

Current data makes the urgency clear. The communities that are most likely to produce compatible matches for most sickle cell patients continue to remain underrepresented in the blood donor pool. Compared to the White donor population being 80.2%, Black and African American donors comprise just 3.8%, Hispanic or Latino donors 6.6%, and Asian donors 3.4%.

Sickle Cell Warrior Makenzie Nance and her mother, Demeatrice.

There have been hopeful changes, however. Since 2021, Black or African American blood donors have increased by 37.6%, with Hispanic or Latino donors up 8.5%, and Asian donors up 7.8%. The Red Cross Sickle Cell initiative has been paramount in this increase by providing more than 300,000 sickle cell trait screenings to donors self-identifying as Black, or multiracial. The Red Cross HBCU Ambassador Program has collected over 7,300 pints of blood from 320 campus drives.

Still, with only 3% of the U.S. population donating blood each year, the donor pool for sickle cell patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds remains low. If you come from an underrepresented background in the donor pool, your donation can provide support to patients who need it most.

Schedule a donation or share this post – – both can make a huge difference.

Visit RedCrossBlood.org, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-RED CROSS to find a drive near you .

World Blood Donor Day: Saving lives one pint at a time

Posted on June 14, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Eilene Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

What do Marisol Roman in Solon, Alice Hamlin in Findlay and Ramesh Rumba in Bedford Heights have in common with a very special group of millions of people around the world?

They’re volunteer blood donors! They embody the truth: “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.”

“I donated to give someone a chance to live,” Ramesh said. It’s that simple.

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, when we celebrate the selfless generosity of donors like Ramesh, Alice and Marisol and others across northern Ohio for their lifesaving gifts. Across the U.S., the American Red Cross supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood supply, collecting some 4.7 million blood donations and 1.2 million platelet donations a year.

“What would you want someone to do if it was someone you loved (who needed blood)?” said donor Valerie Purdie of Rocky River. “Life can change at any time and the little things we do can end up being big things for someone else.”

Paige King of Olmstead Falls is living proof: She donated blood a few times in high school, not knowing that a bone-shattering motorcycle crash was in her future. She made it through massive blood loss and multiple surgeries with repeated transfusions, “from (volunteer) donors like myself.

“I will never forget how grateful I am…I am forever grateful for the opportunity to donate.”

Marshall Campos of Warren could have been one of Paige’s donors, unknowingly. “(No particular person) really motivated me to donate blood. I generally just encouraged myself to do something good.”

Decades ago in Findlay, a friend encouraged Alice Hamlin to start giving blood. Then her dad was diagnosed with leukemia and she learned about the continual need for blood transfusions, even though he didn’t need them. “Eighteen gallons later, I plan to continue donating as long as I’m able,” she said.

Marisol Roman’s motivation to donate was even more personal: “I got plasma when I lost my baby at three months of pregnancy…Do it. You’ll feel good,” she said.

The campaign to raise awareness of the constant need for blood points out that every donation is more than a medical act: It’s a powerful expression of solidarity, compassion and collective responsibility.

In America, we’re privileged to have a safe and solid supply of blood, but it depends on individual actions. Despite more than 62% of our population being eligible, only about three percent actually donate.

Summer is an especially challenging time to maintain the supply, with vacation travel, school breaks and extreme heat disrupting blood drives. Remember, every two seconds, someone needs blood. To schedule your lifesaving donation, go to redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Northern Ohio Red Cross CEO Mike Parks shares Memorial Day message

Posted on May 25, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Mike Parks, RADM, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.), Chief Executive Officer American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region

Memorial Day is the time of year when we prepare to honor those service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation. We take time to pay homage to those men and women, who gave their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.

It should also be a time when we pay tribute to those Gold Star families who have endured pain and sacrifice due to the loss of their family member. A Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a U.S. military service member who died in the line of duty. Those who die in service to their country leave behind parents, siblings, spouses, children, and extended families. These are recognized as Gold Star Families. The title is meant to honor the service member’s ultimate sacrifice while acknowledging their family’s loss, grief, and continued healing.

The tradition dates to World War I when flags/banners were first flown by families. The flag included a blue star for every immediate family member serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States were engaged. But in the event of a death, that blue star is replaced with a gold variant — the highest honor. The term Gold Star Family is a modern reference that comes from the Service Flag (as seen below).

Whenever we see someone displaying a gold star flag or similar emblem, it’s wholly appropriate to acknowledge their loss by saying something as simple, but powerful, as “I’m sorry for your loss—thank you for your sacrifice.” It’s also important to remember that although we focus on Memorial Day once a year, Gold Star Families focus on their loss 365 days a year. That’s why our acknowledgement of their loss and sacrifice is so important.

This Memorial Day, in addition to honoring those who died serving our country, let us also honor those Gold Star Families who continue to grieve the loss of their loved ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can be free. Wishing you and yours a memorable and meaningful Memorial Day weekend!

Do you have the skills to save a life?

Posted on May 21, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

For National Trauma Awareness Month, consider learning CPR and other lifesaving skills.

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer.

If someone near you went into cardiac arrest, could you respond? Could you step in and act? Every moment will count, as the chances for survival decrease 7-10% every minute that immediate CPR or use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) is delayed.

Northern Ohio Region employees taking Adult First Aid / CPR / AED training at the Cleveland office.

This is not a far-fetched scenario. Over 350,000 people in the US suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospitals each year, with a little over 70% happening in the home. Many of the roughly 10% who survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest do so because CPR was performed or an AED used within the first few minutes.

High-quality CPR has a significant impact on survival outcomes. In hospitals, survival rates increase to 21%.

May is National Trauma Awareness Month, calling attention to the need to prevent injuries and protect lives. Helping people prepare for, prevent, and respond to life-threatening events is among the American Red Cross’s key services, including classes for CPR and other life-saving skills.

To better understand these classes’ importance, I spoke with Angele Cassiday, who teaches Adult and Pediatric First Aid, CPR, AED, and Babysitting and Child Care. She has taught for 14 years, the last five with the Red Cross.

Angele said, “CPR is a very important skill to know, as cardiac arrest can happen without warning. The most important step is recognizing an emergency and dialing 911. That alone will make a huge difference.”

In some emergencies, however, Angele pointed out that “Too many of us do not know what to do after calling 911.”

“None of us know the odds that someone nearby will go into cardiac arrest, and it can happen without warning in any environment,” Angele said. To illustrate this, she mentioned Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during a football game, as well as Lindsay’s Law, which helps raise awareness of the risks of cardiac arrest in youth athletes.

Several of Angele’s students have used their skills to save lives, from family members to one person’s boss.

For anyone considering taking a CPR, First Aid, or other lifesaving class, Angele highly recommends doing so, including signing up for pediatric classes. “Life is too short,” Angele said. “You need to be able to step in and help somebody whenever you can. Being able to save a life is just so important.”

Angele also recommended getting the Red Cross First Aid app. It is available here or by texting “GETFIRST” to 90999.

Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED courses will teach you how to perform CPR, help someone who is choking, control bleeding, respond to a heart attack, and more. Classes are offered in several formats, including online, instructor-led classroom, and blended with online content and an in-person skills session. On-site training is available for groups.

You can find more information on taking a CPR and other classes at redcross.org/take-a-class. In addition, Information on Hands-Only CPR in Eight Simple Steps is available here.

Sugarcreek Fire & Rescue celebrates anniversary of Ohio’s first pre-hospital blood program

Posted on May 15, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

Sugarcreek Fire & Rescue has just surpassed the 1-year mark of the initiation of a pre-hospital blood transfusion program, and they have good reason to celebrate. Not only are they the first department in the state of Ohio to offer blood transfusions in the field, but their team has been integral in making this service available statewide.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, their paramedics are able to administer lifesaving blood to patients who require blood transfusions, prior to ever reaching the hospital. According to EMS.gov, when a person has heavy bleeding, it can take as little as 5 minutes for death to occur. In addition, trauma patients are four times more likely to survive if they are able to receive whole blood products in the field.

Cody Shetler, the Assistant Fire Chief and a paramedic at Sugarcreek Fire & Rescue explained that it was a project that was in the works well before its initiation in April 2025.

“Being so rural, … our closest level one trauma center is about 60 miles away. We saw a need for it, not very often, but when it did happen and we couldn’t get a helicopter onto the scene, we saw a need where blood products would be beneficial to the patient’s outcome.”

He further explained, “The paramedic scope of practice had to be changed in order for paramedics to be able to start blood products anywhere, either in the hospital or in the field…so I actually joined the Medical Oversight Committee at the state level, a few years before this, my whole goal of getting the scope changed to allow paramedics to give blood products.”

Sugarcreek Fire & Rescue worked with their medical director to create a training program that would prepare their paramedics for their new role. Once that was done, they were able to move forward in their partnership with the Red Cross to supply the blood needed to run this program.

They acquired the necessary equipment, including an infuser and warmer that allow them to deliver the blood products by hand right at the scene, or in transit to the hospital. They also purchased a portable cooler, specially designed to house blood products and ensure they stay at a safe temperature for storage.

The blood comes directly from the Red Cross blood bank in Cleveland, Ohio. When properly refrigerated, whole blood can be stored for up to 21-35 days. In addition, Sugarcreek Fire & Rescue is working to become AABB-accredited, which would allow them to drop off any unused blood products to nearby hospitals so they can be used prior to their expiration date.

Since the initiation of the program, Sugarcreek Fire & Rescue has been able to administer blood in the field to eight patients, all of whom survived the 24-hour mark, and seven of whom survived to hospital discharge. Cody estimated that around 50% of the patients were due to traumas, such as motor vehicle accidents or farm/factory injuries. The other 50% were from medical conditions, with one patient being a woman from the Amish community who hemorrhaged after a home birth.

Recently, their department was awarded the 2025 Pediatric Clinical Save Award for being the first fire department in Ohio to administer blood products in the field to a pediatric patient.

“I think that these programs are obviously incredibly lifesaving for rural communities,” Cody said. “Logistically, it doesn’t make sense for every ambulance to carry blood, but I think it definitely makes sense to have it strategically placed in areas to be able to cover a large swath of land, whether that’s multiple departments or counties, or jurisdictions.”

To ensure this cycle of life continues, they host a blood drive every other month at a local church in their community. You can support their lifesaving mission by participating in a local blood drive near you by visiting www.redcrossblood.org.

What is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

Posted on May 8, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Sharon Nicastro, American Red Cross volunteer

The largest and one of the oldest humanitarian organizations in the world began with the vision of one man.

February 11, 2023. Türkiye.
Following the devastating earthquake that stroke Turkey and Syria on 6 Feb 2023, Turkish Red Crescent has deployed more than 4,000 staff and volunteers to respond to the urgent needs of the affected people.
Photo by Turkish Red Crescent

Jean-Henri “Henri” Dunant was a Swiss businessman who was traveling through Italy to secure land and water and concessions from Napoleon III when he came across the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino during the Second War for Italian Independence. He saw the battlefield covered with men dying for lack of medical care. He rallied the women from surrounding villages, and they transported the men to the cathedral at Castiglione. Their motto was “tutti fratelli” (all brothers) as they cared for the men without consideration for the side they fought on.

In A Memory of Solferino, Dunant wrote, “Would it not be possible, in time of peace and quiet, to form relief societies for the purpose of having care given to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers?” Gustave Moynier, the Chairman of the Geneva Public Welfare Society, pursued the idea by forming a committee of five men. The International Committee for Relief to the wounded was born and soon became the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The ICRC convened a conference of European governments in Geneva, Switzerland, to study ways that volunteers from national societies could assist military medical services. The volunteers wore an emblem to distinguish them from ordinary civilians. A red cross on a white background, the reverse of the Swiss flag, was selected as the emblem (the Red Crescent and Red Crystal were added later). The original Geneva Convention resulted from the conference and went into effect in 1863 after receiving the approval of twelve European nations. The Convention had ten articles, which all pertained to relief for the wounded. Today there are four Geneva Conventions with hundreds of articles that protect soldiers, sailors, prisoners of war, and civilians during armed conflicts.

October 25, 2024. Chumixquin, Quiche, Guatemala. Students, school leadership and the women-led Local Coordinators for Disaster Risk Reduction (COLRED) team in Chumixquin present a cultural activity and conduct an emergency drill, in coordination with the Red Cross. Guatemala Red Cross teams are working to improve the preparedness capacity of vulnerable communities located in high-risk disaster areas with cost-effective approaches. Over the past two years, together with the school district and community leaders in Chumixquin, they have created response and evacuation plans, gained a better understanding of external resources available during and after disasters, and identified tools to improve the communitys response efficiency, such as early warning systems and communication plans. Around the globe, the American Red Cross is working together with local Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to foster a culture of preparedness that reduces vulnerability to disasters, inspires resilience, and carries the promise of reducing both disaster costs and human suffering. By supporting national society partners through technical expertise and funding for projects they identify as crucial to serving their most vulnerable communities, the Red Cross is helping to build safer, healthier and more resilient communities worldwide. Photo by Marquis Powell/American Red Cross

Two other branches of service have been added to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The first of the National Societies that Dunant proposed in his vision was Wűrttemberg (now Germany) in 1863. Today almost every country in the world has a national society. The American Red Cross was started in 1881 after nearly twenty years of lobbying by Clara Barton.

The third branch of the movement was proposed by American Henry Davison, President of the American Red Cross War Committee, after World War I. He suggested that volunteers who acquired expertise and experience during wartime could help people during peacetime disasters and public health emergencies. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) was born in 1919 in Paris to coordinate the efforts of the National Societies.

Today, the American Red Cross and other National Societies around the world continue the work of Henri Dunant by educating the American public about International Humanitarian Law, the rules that seek to keep humanity in war. Please contact Sharon.Nicastro2@redcross.org for more information.

Local Ohio Red Cross volunteer honored in D.C. with Presidential Award for Excellence

Posted on April 24, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

“The main reason that I chose the Red Cross was that they were strong on the humanitarian part, of one person helping another person, human to human. I’m big on that.” – Michael Foote

March 3, 2026. Washington, DC. Michael Foote (center) accepting his
Biomedical Services Employee Excellence Awards 2026
Photo by Victoria Hurley/American Red Cross

Michael Foote, a volunteer with the Western Lake Erie Chapter of the American Red Cross, was recently awarded the Presidential Biomedical Award for Excellence in a ceremony that took place at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Michael first learned of the American Red Cross while serving in the Navy as an aircraft electrician, where the Red Cross ensured the delivery of urgent messages between sailors and their families while they were serving overseas.

After serving 20 years, he retired from the Navy and later became a caregiver for his wife, who suffered from dementia. After her passing in 2015, he contemplated how he could utilize his free time, as they had no children or grandchildren. One thing he did know was that he wanted to volunteer.

“The main reason that I chose the Red Cross was that they were strong on the humanitarian part, of one person helping another person, human to human. I’m big on that.” Michael explained. “In the Navy, there is the team concept – like the idea that there are a lot of different parts to the Red Cross, but they’re one team. So, I wanted to have a small group of like-minded individuals that I could relate to. The Red Cross has become my second family.”

He started by volunteering as a Blood Transportation Specialist and quickly became one of their most dependable drivers, often picking up open shifts, covering call-offs, and training new volunteers.

“I found out that in the afternoons to pick up the blood, they were paying 60 to 70 dollars for their courier to do that,” Michael explained. “It’s 13 miles total, and it takes me an hour and a half. For me, I feel selfish sitting around watching TV when I could be saving the Red Cross those 60, 70 dollars, so I do that 5 days a week.”

In 2025, Michael worked 414 Transportation Specialist shifts, totaling over 1,000 volunteer hours and saving the Red Cross an approximate $55,000 in courier fees.

In addition to working 4 to 5 days per week transporting blood products, he also volunteers for many other Red Cross programs, including the Sound the Alarm events, where volunteers install smoke detectors in homes.

He also joined the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) due to his military background, where he has participated in flag and wreath-laying events. Through the SAF, he’s also worked with a local Air National Guard group and the Red Cross to help set up their food pantry.

Most recently, he started with the Disaster Action Team, who respond to fires, and is already a supervisor, fulfilling 2 to 3, 12-hour fire call shifts per week.

When asked how he manages to work so many hours, he chuckled, saying, “I tell people I’m on Red Cross time.”

He’s well aware of the comments people have made, such as “sometimes it seems like he sleeps here.” Others have worried that he is working too hard.

To that, he responded, ”I’m a volunteer, and I volunteer for this. If I need time off, then I’ll tell them I can’t do this. But I should be the one who says what I can and can’t do. If I’m physically and mentally able to, I want to keep doing these things. I would feel selfish not to when I know some jobs need to be done and (there’s) nobody else to do them.”

“Part of it is that I’m a Christian,” he continued, “and I want to share the kindness around me, and the other part (is) about helping humans.”

To learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross, click the link HERE, or visit http://www.redcross.org.

Honoring Earth Day with a Greener Red Cross

Posted on April 22, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Sam Pudelski, American Red Cross volunteer

Earth Day is a time where we reflect on the sustainable changes we can make in our work and our daily lives to be more environmentally friendly. While Earth Day has been associated with planting trees and other greenery, there’s many ways individuals, groups and organizations can make changes to be more “green.”

The American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region is taking steps to contribute to the Red CrossNational Sustainability initiative to make more sustainable business choices. Three years ago, they established the Green Team Committee to focus on implementing sustainable change throughout the region. The 17-person committee is led by co-chairs Erica Van Pelt and Rachel Hepner. Erica has been with the Red Cross for 11 years and is the Northern Ohio Business Operations Specialist. Rachel has been with the Red Cross for 21 years and serves as the Executive Director for the Red Cross of Western Lake Erie..

Since its inception, the Green Team Committee has launched several initiatives to reduce single use plastics including:

Providing reusable bags and refillable water bottles to the entire Northern Ohio Regional staff
Upgrading most building drinking fountains to water bottle refill stations
Replacing water-cooled ice machines with air-cooled ice machines, greatly reducing energy usage

Additionally, each chapter is finding ways to make a difference in their area for this year’s Earth Day. The activities range throughout the region and include:

Decorating clay pots and planting sprouts
Repurposing old t-shirts to make sew-free tote bags
Collecting clothing and small appliances which will repurposed through SAVERS thrift stores
Making beeswax fabric covers to replace plastic wrap and zip-top bags for storing produce and food
Holding a recycling drive in the community

Why It Matters

The Red Cross has seen firsthand the effects of climate change through its disaster response efforts. As extreme weather disasters increase, so do the number of people impacted. Hurricanes, extreme heat, floods and wildfires have become more prevalent in recent years. In the last 10 years, more than 8.5 million people were displaced in the U.S. due to climate disasters.

What You Can Do

It may seem like a daunting task to reverse climate change but the reality is each change, both big and small, can help make a difference. Together, our collective efforts can make an impact that can help our communities and those across the country. Consider this Earth Day as a place to make a small sustainable swap in your daily routine or volunteer locally with a local organization. Additionally, the Northern Ohio Green Team Committee is always looking for new ideas and team members. You can connect with the team at NOHGreenTeam@redcross.org.

Red Cross Club members provide aid while being inspired

Posted on April 20, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

Each day in our region, American Red Cross youth and young adult volunteers assist at blood drives, help veterans and their families, learn and teach skills such as CPR and disaster preparation, and aid their communities. Many of these activities are through Red Cross Clubs.

An extension of a local Red Cross region or Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) station, Red Cross Clubs assist mission-related activities and help their communities. Volunteers gain valuable experience and lifesaving skills, discover opportunities and develop lifelong friendships.

For insight into Red Cross Club activities, I spoke with Rayanna Cap and Wesley Leong, who have been Red Cross volunteers since 2023 and 2020, respectively.

Rayanna was initially inspired to volunteer with the Red Cross by her sister. While researching opportunities, Rayanna learned of Red Cross Clubs. She thought the project was “awesome,” and helped create the club at Findlay High School, from where she will graduate in May.

Wesley partly credits his supportive family and culture of helping others as inspiration to volunteer. “I wanted to expand that support into the community and build relationships that aren’t given to us,” Wesley said. While at Revere High School, Wesley researched why he hadn’t seen a blood drive at the school in a while, which led him and a friend to create the school’s Red Cross Club. He is currently studying chemistry at Emory University.

Since joining the Red Cross, Rayanna and Wesley have been exceptionally active, valuable volunteers. In addition to serving as club coordinator at Findlay High School, Rayanna has helped start at least 10 clubs. Wesley works with Red Cross Clubs across our region, meeting with officers each month to offer advice and support, brainstorm ideas and help form new clubs.

Both Rayanna and Wesley expressed how much they enjoy helping others, the community, and meeting and working with others. Rayanna said, “I love talking to others and helping to get youth involved, like how donating blood saves lives. If they’re nervous, I’ll hold their hand while they donate.” Wesley said he enjoys seeing the impact of his work, saying, “I can actively do something to help others in the community.”

Among Rayanna’s favorite activities is a “Tie-Blanket” project where Club members get together during the holidays, watch a Christmas movie and create blankets for local shelters. “Knowing blankets are going to local shelters is very inspiring, helps solidify the passion for what we are doing and teaches members the benefits are real, especially when I saw someone using a blanket we had made,” Rayanna said. The event is now an annual holiday tradition.

Other activities Rayanna enjoys and has inspired others to join include canteen services– providing snacks and water for first responders or residents impacted by local disasters, working with local businesses to help support blood drives and other activities, and learning CPR and other lifesaving skills. “I love the work that I do!” she said.

One of Wesley’s favorite Red Cross moments was during a Veterans Day gift drive, seeing how important the gifts were to those at a local VA hospital. Currently, he greatly enjoys connecting with and helping fellow volunteers aid their communities. He also offers advice and insight to help others succeed in college.

Both have also been inspired by their volunteer services. Rayanna credits the Red Cross as helping her choose her college major and career path. She will be attending The Ohio State University this fall, majoring in public policy and minoring in both education policy and nonprofit management.

Wesley, now in his junior year at Emory, credits much of his success and view of the world to his experience with the Red Cross. “I wouldn’t be where I am without the Red Cross,” he said. Wesley plans to attend graduate school and become a professor.

As busy as they are, both find time for other activities, and both especially love baking. Rayanna also participates in sports, including soccer, bowling, lacrosse, running and pickleball. Wesley also crochets and makes plushies.

When asked what they would say to someone thinking of joining or starting a Red Cross Club, both resoundingly said, “Do it!” Rayanna said, “You’ll make so many memories, meet so many people. I’ve listened, held people’s hands and understand things I may not have otherwise. You’ll experience things you won’t forget. You’ll also gain many skills like public speaking, communications and using Microsoft, which apply to future goals.” Wesley added, “There are so many opportunities, and the experience has helped in many ways. I will be forever grateful to the Red Cross.”

More on Red Cross Clubs and other youth volunteer opportunities is available a redcross.org/red-cross-youth.html.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Red Cross donation insights help bolster community health

Posted on April 7, 2026 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Eilene Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

The American Red Cross provides some 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply. In the process of collecting, processing and distributing that vital fluid, the Red Cross plays an important role in many facets of community health.

Most of us know someone who’s received a lifesaving blood transfusion during surgery, trauma treatment or cancer care.

We all know that despite medical miracles, there’s no artificial substitute for the real thing: Blood from another living person.

Red Cross phlebotomists who screen us before drawing blood can pick up on blood pressure or iron deficiency issues. Lab professionals who test our blood for infectious diseases and compatibility can also identify pre-diabetes (A1c levels) before symptoms show up, among a host of other conditions.

And, incidentally, later this month is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, so kudos to our 500 lab techs who keep the blood supply safe and identify the dozens of blood components that make hospital treatments and cell and gene therapies more effective.

Clevelander Makenzie Nance relies on that expertise. She’s one of more than 100,000 people in the United States living with sickle cell disease (SCD), most – but not all – of them Black or African Americans.

To alleviate acute pain “crises” and forestall organ damage, those sufferers may need as many as 100 units of blood every year – blood that Red Cross technicians process to be sure it has the unique antigens from donors of the same ethnic groups as SCD patients.

Makenzie is a sickle cell warrior who advocates for blood donation while her mom Demeatrice partners with the Red Cross to organize blood drives. “It could be my day today, or it could be your day tomorrow,” Demeatrice says.

Dr. Kristin Gype wasn’t expecting it to be “her day” to receive blood as she prepared for the birth of her second child, but an emergency C-section delivery led to uncontrolled bleeding and an immediate hysterectomy.

During her struggle for life, Kristin received a whopping 52 units of blood! To put that into perspective, the average human body holds about 10 pints or “units” of blood.

Kristin, a nurse anesthetist, estimates it took up to 83 donors to produce all the blood products she needed that day.

“Those people had a ripple effect. They kept me alive, kept these two babies’ mommy alive. I get to go to work and take care of people and keep them alive,” she says.

Blood products have a short shelf-life, so the supply has to be constantly replenished. Elaine Rettig in Findlay is grateful blood was “on the shelf” when she needed seven units as she was giving birth.

“While the dreaded jab of a needle is not like a kiss from your sweetheart,” she says, “knowing you’ll be helping someone through a rough time in their life is an extra reward.”

The Red Cross is constantly working to make the donation process easier. You can save time by using the RapidPass online health history tool on the day of your appointment, and many donation sites now use a transdermal device to check blood iron levels. No more finger sticks! The Red Cross operates dozens of blood drives across northern Ohio, as well as five dedicated collection sites for platelets and plasma, always in demand for treating traumatic injuries. To find a location near you, go to RedCrossBlood.org or download the free Red Cross blood donor app.

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region