Tag Archives: Blood Drive

Donate Blood in March and receive a free A1C screening

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By: Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

The American Red Cross of Northern Ohio is helping to bridge access to health care for blood donors by providing free A1C testing, commonly used to screen for diabetes and prediabetes, on all successful blood, platelet and plasma donations in March.

One-third of people lack access to regular primary care in the U.S., where diabetes affects 1 in 10 people and nearly a quarter of those living with it have been undiagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The free A1C screening aims to help address this gap by empowering blood donors with valuable information to maintain their health and well-being.

What is the hemoglobin A1C test?  This is a common laboratory blood test that doctors use to help diagnose diabetes or prediabetes. Unlike a blood glucose test (or blood sugar test) which provides an instant snapshot of your current blood sugar levels, A1C reflects the average blood sugar levels of an individual over the past 3 months. This gives doctors a better idea of where your blood sugar typically lies, outside of the daily fluctuations.

Why is this important for me? It is estimated that there are over 8.7 million people in the U.S. living with undiagnosed prediabetes or diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90% of all cases and often remains symptomless until damage has been done. Untreated diabetes can lead to plaque build-up in the blood vessels which in turn puts you at greater risk for a stroke or heart attack. The eyes, kidneys, nerves, and skin are particularly vulnerable to the effects of decreased blood flow due to high glucose levels in the blood.  Fortunately, prediabetes is reversible with lifestyle changes, so early detection is key.

Blood donor, Audrey Savage
Photo by Michelle Frankfurter for the American Red Cross

How should I prepare for my donation?  No fasting is required for the A1C test or any other special preparation. Just be sure you are feeling well on the day of donation by getting enough rest, staying hydrated, and eating a well-balanced meal.

When will I get my results? You can expect your results within one to two weeks of your donation. Results will be posted on the Red Cross Donor App or through your donor’s account at RedCrossBlood.org.

What do my results mean?  An A1C test result of 5.7% or above will require follow-up with your primary care physician. Your doctor will be able to diagnose and guide you through an appropriate treatment plan. 

To learn more about the A1C test, pre-diabetes and diabetes, check out this informational page at the Red Cross website HERE. Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App HERE to schedule your next donation and view your donation history and test results.

Local teacher inspires students to give the gift of life through blood donations

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By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

It’s already nearing mid-December and with the holiday season in full swing, the spirit of giving is on many of our hearts and minds. As we grow older, we learn to appreciate the fulfillment that giving to others brings. This year, as we consider ways to give back, either through gifts, service, or charity, let’s remember one other significant way that we can help – by giving the gift of life through blood donations.

Merrylou Windhorst and St. Vincent – St. Mary High school teacher Heidi Tripp

Merrylou Windhorst knows the importance of giving back to the community. She has been doing it throughout her almost 80 years of life (she’ll reach her milestone birthday on Christmas day this year).As a teacher at St. Vincent – St. Mary High School (St. V’s) in Akron and now as a volunteer for the last 50 years, Merrylou has been mentoring students and organizing blood drives through the American Red Cross, giving back to the community that she loves.

Merrylou started out as a student at Our Lady of Elms Catholic school. After graduation, she stayed on as religious sister at the Elms for 11 years before feeling called to do something else. That something else was to become a mother and a teacher, and thus starting her work at St. V’s. During her tenure, she worked as a health and physical education teacher, as well as teaching theology and coaching softball.

Her interest in health and well-being led her to start a program at St. V’s about 40 years ago that she still leads and is still going strong today, the Future Medics program. Recently she has expanded the program to include students from her alma mater, Our Lady of the Elms. In it, students who have an interest in the medical field meet up once a month and learn about career options and hear from alumni who have found success in medicine. Students also help to run three blood drives per school year, something that she brought to the school over 20 years ago.

“As a teacher I’ve always said ‘don’t just think of yourself as a ME, turn the M upside down and it becomes a W, becomes WE’… and that’s kind of what I have done as a teacher and especially at Future Medics and at blood drives. It’s time to give to other people.”

High school students who are 16, with a parent’s permission, can donate blood. Students can also volunteer to work at the blood drives. Either way, they earn service hours for graduation, an important part of the culture at St. V’s. Merrylou is so proud of her students and their willingness to go above and beyond for their community.

“I’m always honored and amazed at these young people at age 16, and it’s gotta be scary to roll up their sleeve and give blood.”

She said with the students help, they often make or exceed their donation goals. Their next blood drive is scheduled for Jan. 22 at the school and is open to the public.

“You think about, when can you save a life? How can we ever in our life, other when you stop and give CPR to somebody on the side of the road, who can say, ‘I’ve saved lives?’”

Recently Merrylou received recognition from the Red Cross for her over 20 years of service in organizing blood drives.

If you’re considering donating and giving the gift of life this holiday season, join us at the annual holiday blood drive at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls on Dec. 17 from 7am-7pm. There will be refreshments and raffles all day, and all donors will receive a free, long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt!

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Scholarship winner is blood donor advocate and community service role model

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By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

The American Red Cross grants Sickle Cell Fighter High School Scholarships to the nation’s top 10 high schools that host at least one blood drive and collect the most productive units from donors who self-identify as African American. One of the 2023-2024 recipients is Charles F. Brush High School in Lyndhurst, and their scholarship recipient is Meredith Davis-Cooper.

Meredith Davis-Cooper

Meredith graduated from Brush High School in 2024 and is now studying architecture at Kent State University. She graciously took time from her busy schedule to speak with me.

I asked Meredith how she became so active in community service. It began with her family, which is involved with several committees, church and worship groups, and counseling. This continued at Brush High School and the National Honor Society (NHS), as community involvement is a major initiative with both organizations. In addition to blood drives, Meredith and other students held several food drives last year.

“I’m always open to the community,” Meredith said. “I love staying involved. It brings me joy.” She has also learned she is quite adept at it.

Meredith’s skill in assisting community efforts was clearly seen with Brush’s three blood drives last school year. As the school’s National Honor Society president, she helped recruit and schedule students and donated blood herself.

I asked Meredith how she was so effective convincing others to become blood donors. She said knowing Red Cross facts helped, especially the critical need for blood donations in the African American community to help fight sickle cell disease. And her status as NHS president, a top 10 student, artist, and athlete were key. Meredith said her leadership and ability to fit in everywhere garnered trust and helped her persuade others to donate.

Meredith’s former NHS adviser, Mrs. Jill Strainic, concurs. She said, “It helps to have a role model like Meredith on our recruiting team. She’s an excellent student and leader, but by stepping up and donating blood herself, she takes ownership and is a great ambassador for the process. Meredith also brings this amazing sense of enthusiasm and confidence to everything she does. When she talks, students listen.”

In addition to her studies, Meredith works as a volleyball coach. She played volleyball in high school and competed in swimming, shot put, and discus. She is also an accomplished artist, creating abstract sculptures, some of which have won Gold Key awards and honorable mentions from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Meredith said art is how she developed her interest in architecture.

While Meredith is just getting settled in at Kent State and her demanding major, she plans to continue helping the community and donating blood, whether in Kent or at home. She also hopes to play or referee volleyball next year, and would like to study architecture abroad.

After graduating, Meredith hopes to eventually have her own firm and create innovative, striking buildings. She is especially inspired by Zaha Hadid’s work.

Meredith is extremely grateful for the Sickle Cell Fighter scholarship. She said she had been stressed about paying for college, and the award was a “shocking surprise.” It helped “seal the deal” so she could begin her university studies and prepare for her future.

The Red Cross is currently offering sickle cell trait screening for donors who self-identify as Black or African American. To schedule a blood donation, please visit redcrossblood.org.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Lifting of restrictions opens window for new blood donors

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One-year anniversary of blanket deferral that prevented blood donations

By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

If you’ve ever attended a blood drive in the past and were turned away due to a deferral, there has never been a better time to reassess your eligibility. Over the past two years, two important deferrals that have been in place since the 1980s have been modified or lifted, increasing the ever-needed pool of eligible blood donors.

In 1986, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, colloquially known as “Mad Cow Disease,” was discovered in cattle in the United Kingdom. This disease was found to be transmissible to humans if infected meat was eaten and caused a number of illnesses, including a variant of Cruetzfeld-Jakob disease (vCJD), a degenerative, fatal disease that affects the central nervous system of the host.

U.S. Air Force veteran John Dowell of Lakewood  gave blood after the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob
(mad cow) Disease deferral was lifted.

Due to this, during the 1980’s and 90’s the Food and Drug Administration restricted people who had visited certain European countries from donating blood in the United States in an effort to prevent the transmission of vCJD. The American Red Cross honored this ban, which remained in place until 2022 when it was removed after a steep decline in reported cases and no signs of a second wave.

Additionally, in 2023 a second long-standing deferral that restricted gay and bisexual men from donating was modified to remove the blanket deferral and instead assess people on a case-by-case basis. This deferral was originally created in an attempt to curb the spread of HIV, which became an epidemic in the 1980s.

Red Cross worker and volunteer, Mark Fleischer

Both of these deferrals affected long-time Red Cross worker and volunteer, Mark Fleischer, who was able to donate blood for the first time in decades back in January of this year. You can read his story HERE and learn of his great pride in being able to donate again after years of ineligibility.

When I spoke to him back in January, he indicated that not only was he previously affected by the deferrals placed on gay men, but because of his brief time living in England back in 1992 and because of fears surrounding Mad Cow disease, he had been told he was ineligible to donate for life. Now all of that has changed with the recent modifications to blood donor eligibility requirements.

Mark Fleischer and phlebotomist Ed Leonardi

In an update since his January 2024 donation, Mark told me that he has helped organize and has participated in many successful blood drives at the Willoughby Senior Center, some of which have exceeded their goal for blood donations. He is also personally scheduled to donate blood again at the end of this month.

“Recruiting for blood donors is in full force and things are going great,” he said. He also previously told me, “You may have been deferred decades ago for something that may no longer be in place. So I want to encourage people to look at the questions that the Red Cross asks (and) look at the deferred list…those deferrals or restrictions may have been lifted.”

Mark Fleischer and Red Cross staff at blood drive

Check out the Red Cross Give Blood page to learn more about eligibility requirements, and to find a local blood drive near you.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

Recognizing blood donors on World Blood Donor Day

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Increased need for donors during summer months

By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

Why in the world would anybody willingly roll up a sleeve and take a needle jab, to give up a bag of precious blood?

“My mother, she gave I don’t know how many gallons,” one donor recently told me. This middle-aged daughter was honoring her late mother’s example of generosity.

Eilene E. Guy, Red Cross volunteer and blood donor

“Back in 1970, a friend of mine was going to have surgery, so I went to Cleveland to donate for him,” another donor recalled. With his donation the day we talked, that man was approaching his 35-gallon mark!

On this, World Blood Donor Day, the American Red Cross salutes the estimated 6.8 million people in the U.S. who donate blood. That yields about 13.6 million units (a “unit” of blood is about one pint) of whole blood and red blood cells a year.

That’s a whole lot of blood!

But consider: Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets. That amounts to some 29,000 units of red blood cells every day.

And this isn’t an option. Blood is saving the lives of critically injured emergency room patients, mothers and newborns experiencing complications of childbirth and folks having surgery. It’s sustaining hundreds of thousands of people undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer and tens of thousands who rely on blood transfusions to cope with the effects of sickle cell disease.

We’re fortunate to live in an age of modern medicine, but one challenge remains: There’s no way to “manufacture” blood.

So until that magic day, it’s a measure of our humanity that so many donors step forward to save the lives of others – in most cases, people they’ll never know.

The fact is, only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood every year. That often leaves the supply agonizingly short. Over the last month, for example, the Red Cross collected about 20,000 fewer units of blood than needed to maintain a safe and stable national blood supply.

That’s worrisome, because blood donations typically drop during the summer months. At the same time, the need doesn’t stop.

Which brings us back to the source, blood donors.

I know from personal experience that it takes about an hour to go through the whole process: Screening to be sure I’m healthy and don’t have any disqualifications (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration decides what that would be, such as exposure to communicable diseases like malaria, or recent tattoos or piercings.); donating; and recovery (Water, juice and snacks are encouraged to jump-start the body’s replacement of the blood removed.)

You don’t need to know your blood type to make a blood donation. And if you think you’ve been disqualified, give it another try: You, or the rules, may have changed.

You can schedule your blood donation by using the free Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). 

On this World Blood Donor Day and every day, “bravo” to those who make the choice to save or sustain a life.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Give blood and get a free Cedar Point ticket

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By Samantha Pudelski, American Red Cross volunteer

It’s almost summer, which means lots of time at the pool, summer barbeques, vacations and trips to Cedar Point. It’s also when blood donations tend to decline, as donors are busy with all of their summer activities. Unfortunately, the need for blood is constant in our community and across the country, and we need donors like you to help ensure those who need blood are able to receive it.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. This includes accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients and those battling cancer.

This summer, the American Red Cross and Cedar Fair theme parks are teaming up again to encourage donors to help save lives this summer. All you need to do is donate blood at select blood drives through August 1st and you’ll receive a free Cedar Point ticket.*

To find a Cedar Point blood drive near you and schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code “CEDARPOINT”. Appointments for these blood drives are highly encouraged.**

*All those who come to donate at select blood drives will receive one free ticket, valid for entry to Cedar Point, while supplies last. Tickets are valid during the 2024 season and other restrictions may apply. Check park website for information on capacity, open dates and hours.

**Donors without appointments are not guaranteed a Cedar Point ticket, as
supplies are limited.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

40-year blood donor nears 35 gallon mark

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Gary Pfeiffer, of Wharton, Ohio, has donated nearly 35 gallons of blood. “I don’t make a big deal about it, it’s just another milestone for me. Once I got close, I started counting and keeping track,” said Pfeiffer.

Gary Pfeiffer, blood donor

Gary began donating blood more than 40 years ago, when a friend asked him if he had ever thought about it. When she suggested it to him, he thought that it would be something good to do, to help others.

He has donated at Red Cross blood drives throughout North Central Ohio, in Hardin County, Hancock County and Wyandot County.

And having O-positive blood, the most transfused type, Gary has had the opportunity to save many lives over the years. He has donated double red cells several times, which requires a longer wait time between donations.

Gary reached his 25-gallon donation a little over 9 gallons ago, at a drive in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. He says, “Christ gave His blood for everyone, the least I can do is help a few.” He plans on donating as long as he is able.

“I have gotten many little extras along the way, including my first pin, a set of 4 pins that when put together, make a red cross in the middle, a key chain, the document of my first donation, the original stick pin and gifts awarded with donations.”

“My wife made me a framed display of my pins, in the shape of a blood drop, which includes the stick pin, set of pins and key chain,” said Pfeiffer.

Pfeiffer Christmas tree

Gary and his wife Bettie create a different themed tree for Christmas every year. Last year, he said, “We chose to use my goal towards the 35 gallons of blood for our theme. Some drops are only partially viewable but there are 35 blood drops on the tree.”

Because his last donation was a Power Red donation (double red blood cells), Gary won’t be eligible to donate before this spring. But he plans to make his donation appointment as soon as he is eligible.

You can make an appointment to donate whole blood, Power Red or platelets by visiting redcrossblood.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. You can also make you appointment by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Local man donates blood for the first time in decades after LGBTQ+ restrictions lifted

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By Kathryn Dean

Important changes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines regarding blood donations mean more LGBTQ+ community members are now eligible to donate blood.

Mark Fleischer, Blood Donor

This was great news for a local Northern Ohio man and former American Red Cross employee Mark Fleischer, who donated blood last week for the first time in over three decades. For eight years, Mark worked at the Red Cross, organizing and running blood drives. He currently does the same at the Willoughby Senior Center, and so is very familiar with the eligibility rules regarding blood donations.

Under the new guidelines adopted by the Red Cross on Aug. 7 of last year, donors are now asked a standardized set of eligibility questions, regardless of sexual orientation, sex, or gender. In addition, deferrals that previously restricted gay and bisexual men from donating have now been lifted and eligibility is decided on a case-by-case basis.

As a gay man, Mark was previously restricted from donating due to rules in place since the 1980’s, aimed at preventing the spread of HIV. Risks associated with HIV are now addressed in the new, standardized questionnaire and are based on individual behaviors and health histories.

Mark said that he was pleasantly surprised to hear of the changes late last year and was eager to donate and support the cause that he holds so dear to his heart. He encourages those who have previously been given deferrals in the past to check with the Red Cross website for updated information on eligibility.

“People who may think that they’re not able to donate because of maybe a drug they are taking or because of a travel restriction . . . times have changed so I would encourage everybody to take a look because you never know. That was exactly the case for me,” Mark said.

He also wants people to know the benefits of donating blood, especially since an emergency blood shortage was declared by the Red Cross last week.

Mark Fleischer, Blood Donor

“By taking those few moments and donating, you really could be touching the lives of somebody that maybe you don’t know, but it’s a gift that you can give through that donation. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it’s really, really, rewarding. I’m really excited about it,” Mark said. “That’s what I want to encourage people to do and not just gay men, but everybody. Whatever your sexuality is, whatever your gender, whatever your race. Roll your sleeve up, come on out, and help give the gift of life. I can’t encourage people enough to do that.”

Those who would like more information on this topic are encouraged to visit the Red Cross LGBTQ+ Donors page for detailed guidance and answers to many common questions.

For more information on donating, visit the Red Cross Give Blood page. During the month of January, all donors will be automatically entered to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Beat the January blues by helping Red Cross overcome blood emergency

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By Christy Peters, Regional Communications Manager

After avoiding it for a week and complaining about for much longer, I spent yesterday afternoon taking down and putting away my holiday decorations. It’s one of my least favorite things to do, for multiple reasons. It’s a tedious process because I have a lot of stuff and I can never remember what goes in which box. That leads to a not-so-fun game of decoration box packing Tetris that I never win.

Christy Peters, Red Cross Regional Communications Manager and blood donor

But I mostly put the task off because the first few weeks of January are my least favorite time of the year. I love everything about Christmas and packing everything up reminds me it’s over and I have to get back into a routine…back to work, waking up on time and not eating and drinking everything in sight! 

It turns out, I’m not alone. The “January blues” is a legitimate phenomenon felt by many, for almost all the reasons above. But this general malaise extends beyond diehard holiday lovers like me. January is also one of the most difficult times for the Red Cross to collect enough blood for patients. In fact, the organization is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years.

Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations – such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone – can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusion. 

Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of type O blood products – among the most transfused blood types – to hospitals. In Northern Ohio, more than 500 units of blood are needed every day to meet the needs of patients at more than 70 local hospitals.

The Red Cross is urging eligible donors to make an appointment to give blood now and in the coming weeks to help alleviate the shortage and ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not delayed. By giving blood for the first time, for the first time in a long time or just giving one more time this year than last, you can make a lifesaving impact.

To find a blood drive near you, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). All who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Plus, helping save a life is probably the best antidote for the January blues!

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Give blood and celebrate the 20th Anniversary “Elf”

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By Christy Peters, Regional Communications Manager

For most of my life, I have been a holiday purist. My family always waited until after Thanksgiving before we did anything related to Christmas. No decorating the house or finding a tree until the last weekend in November. And, of course, only certain foods on certain holidays. Heaven forbid you have turkey on both holidays – turkey on Thanksgiving, ham on Christmas.

My strict expectations even extended into holiday entertainment. Only certain films were true holiday “classics.” For example, there are only two acceptable versions of “A Christmas Carol.” For the kids “A Muppet Christmas Carol” and only George C. Scott as Ebeneezer Scrooge for everyone else. And if you don’t watch “It’s A Wonderful Life,” can it even be Christmas? So, it probably comes as no surprise that when the movie “Elf” debuted, I didn’t see it. I was good with my classics, and it didn’t seem to fit that category at all.

But it seems I missed the memo because “Elf” is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and has rightly earned classic holiday movie status. As strongly as I feel about George C. Scott, there are probably many more people who see Buddy as the true hero of the holiday season. And for them, I have some fantastic news! When you come to give blood now through Nov. 30, you’ll receive an exclusive pair of “Elf” + American Red Cross socks, while supplies last.

Donations are critical to the blood supply as the holiday season draws near – a time when blood donations often decline. And for traditionalists like me, the Red Cross is encouraging people to add a new tradition as the holiday season begins: Spread cheer with a blood or platelet donation. Donors of all blood types are urged to give, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets.

Before the holiday rush begins, take an hour out of your day to give blood or platelets and help someone in need. You can find a blood drive near you and make an appointment using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

And, in case you were wondering, at the insistence of my husband, I finally watched “Elf” a few years ago…and loved it. It’s now required viewing in our home every year. Even us traditionalists can shake it up every now and then.