Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #9. “They’ll Take Too Much Blood and I’ll Feel Weak.” 

The cookies and juice you enjoy in the canteen area after your life-saving blood donation aren’t meant to sabotage your diet — having a snack after your donation will help replenish the sugar and liquids you lost when you gave blood. However, you may still feel a bit tired until the next day.

While the minor loss in stamina caused by blood donation shouldn’t disrupt your normal, day-to-day activity, you should still avoid strenuous activity.  For instance, we discourage from trying to do an intense cardio workout or to set a new record for how much you can bench press as soon as you leave the blood center.  It’s best to wait anywhere from several hours to the next day for that type of activity.

In addition to drinking water and other refreshments, it’s a good idea to eat a meal high in protein before your appointment to help prevent feeling weak after giving blood.  Eating well, drinking lots of water and taking it easy after donating should help you get back to normal in no time!

While your blood volume is replaced in only a few hours, your plasma isn’t replaced until after you’ve eaten a meal – which is why it’s so important to eat again after donating. If you bring your friends with you to donate, you’ll have the perfect excuse to go to your favorite restaurant afterwards and to celebrate each of you saving as many as three lives. And what’s not to love about that?!

Since it takes a few weeks for your red blood cells to be completely replaced after blood donation, you’ll need to wait for 56 days before you can donate again. The wait period ensures that you will always have enough blood to stay healthy and strong, even if you donate as often as you are eligible.  Blood donations are vital to the health and welfare of our community, so don’t forget to schedule your next appointment before you leave the blood center; we look forward to seeing you again when your time is up!

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #8. “I’m Afraid of Being Turned Down.”

We understand the frustration.  You realize that blood donations are vital to the community, and you are excited about helping to save a life. And then if you visit the Blood Center to donate and you’re told that you are not eligible due to recent travel, medication, a tattoo, etc. 

Fear not! Many deferrals are only temporary, so you may have waited out the period that you are ineligible to donate. 

Plus, even if you were turned down before, you may now be able to donate - donor criteria is constantly changing, so it’s a good idea to let trained blood center staff help you determine your eligibility for donation.  

Low iron is actually a common reason why people are temporarily turned down for blood donation.  Simply changing your eating habits to include more greens, shellfish and red meat can help alleviate this dilemma. 

Trying to up your iron for blood donation can also give you motivation to kick your coffee addiction — caffeine intake limits iron absorption.  However, if you aren’t quite ready to part with your daily dose of coffee, drinking lots of liquids rich in Vitamin C can help improve iron absorption.  Giving up your coffee four hours before you donate blood, however, is still a good idea to avoid dehydration after donating. 

Prescription and over-the-counter medications can result in a deferral as well.  Typically, taking over-the-counter medication only affects your ability to donate blood for a few days.  Prescription medications result in a longer period of ineligibility, about a month a day after you stop taking the medication.  A list of medications and how they affect donor eligibility is available online. 

If you’d rather not deal with the headache of figuring out how your medication affects your eligibility, call the Blood Center at 800-223-6667 and our friendly, helpful staff will help you determine if you’re presently eligible.

Travel and living abroad in certain locales can also be a cause for deferral.  In most cases, deferral for travel reasons is only temporary — unless you’ve lived abroad in certain countries for a few months or more, in which case deferral is currently indefinite.  If you’ve taken your dream vacation to a tropical locale or have done mission work in high-risk malarial or HIV/AIDS areas, you may also want to check online or consult with blood center staff about your eligibility or any concerns you may have.   

A list of donor eligibility requirements is available online at http://giveapint.org/information/donate_eligibility.php.  More detailed information about restrictions caused travel is also available at http://giveapint.org/information/donate_travel.php.

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #7. “My Blood Isn’t Rich Enough.”

Blood donations are vital to the health and welfare of our community. Your iron level (hemoglobin) will be tested before you donate blood, so you may be pleasantly surprised to discover it is high enough to donate.  If your iron level doesn’t meet the minimum requirement to donate, which is 12.5, don’t fret! 

Some people are more likely to have this issue, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, but making simple changes to your diet can boost your blood iron levels.  

Lengthy lists of iron-rich foods can be found on many internet websites.The cartoon character Popeye was onto something with his spinach — leafy, green vegetables are a good source of iron, particularly from the cabbage family.  Stock up on broccoli, kale, turnip and collard greens, and you’ll be ready to donate in no time. 

If you’re not big on vegetables, beef, pork, lamb, liver and other red meat should also help do the trick.  Need an excuse for a trip to your favorite seafood restaurant? Now you’ve got one — shellfish is also a good source of iron, especially clams, mussels and oysters. 

Some of those options might not sound so good to vegetarians, but there are still more ways to increase your iron levels.  For vegetarians, legumes, like lima beans, peas, pinto beans, black-eyed peas and canned baked beans should find their way onto your plate to get more iron into your bloodstream. 

Believe it or not, carbs can bring up your iron level if you eat yeast-leavened whole wheat bread and rolls or iron-enriched white bread, pasta and rice, or cereal such as Total.

Whatever your choice of cuisine, consuming iron-rich foods with orange juice or another source of Vitamin C should increase your absorption.

Before making any drastic changes to your diet, you should consult a physician.  It is possible to over-consume iron consumption, which can actually be a danger to your health.  In severe cases of iron deficiency, your physician may recommend that you take an iron supplement.

If you change your eating habits to increase your iron levels enough to give blood, your own health will benefit, as well as lives of the patients your blood donations save.

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.  

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #6. “I Don’t Have Any Spare Blood To Donate.”

You’ve got plenty of blood. Think about it: every time you become a feast for mosquitoes, knick your finger with a paper cut or get a blood test, you’ve survived.  Even though you lose more blood when you donate, you’ll still have enough blood to be healthy and happy.  After all, you will have just given the best gift of all — the gift of life! 

The average adult has about two pints of blood for every 25 pounds of body weight.  According to the blood bank experts, If you weigh at least 110 pounds (the minimum weight for blood donation), you should be able to spare a pint with no problem.  Blood donations are vital - the one pint you give up can save the lives of as many as three people.

Plus, there are restrictions on how often you can donate.  Your body constantly makes blood, so the red blood cells you lose during whole blood donation will be completely replenished in about two months.  The fluids in your body take just a few hours to adjust, and we help move that along by providing you with liquids and snacks after your donation.  Most people have adapted and resume their normal level of activity within a day or so.

Blood, like food and medicine, has an “expiration date” – Red cells must be used within 42 days of donation, while platelets only have a useable lifespan of 5 days.  That is why it is so important for there to be a continuous stream of blood donors walking through the door.

And remember  - there’s no substitute for human blood; the people who need it rely on the selflessness of blood donors like you. 

MKBC is in constant need of blood donations to keep the community’s blood supply at a safe level.  For a patient who needs your blood today, the blood you can easily spare may be irreplaceable. 

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #5. “They wouldn’t want my blood because of all the illnesses I’ve had.”

Blood donations are vital for the health and welfare of our community.

It’s true that you will not qualify to give blood if you have a cold, the flu, a stomach bug, fever or sore throat. But each donor is given a mini-check-up at the beginning of the donation process to make sure they can safely donate for our community blood supply. 

Many medical conditions result in only a temporary deferral, and the criteria for blood donation is continually changing. 

Lots of people wonder how long they need to wait after surgery.  If you’ve made a complete recovery (which we hope you have), you are no longer under a doctor’s care for the condition that required surgery and you didn’t receive a blood transfusion, you are likely able to give blood. However, be aware that recent surgery patients are individually assessed by a staff member.

Are you a new mom? As long as it’s been at least six weeks since you’ve delivered your newborn, you aren’t under a doctor’s care and a blood transfusion wasn’t needed, you are free to donate.

Potential donors who have diabetes may give blood, as long as they haven’t taken insulin made before 1990, which may have been bovine insulin.  Donors who have always taken oral medication or recombinant insulin are eligible to donate.

If you’ve recovered from heart, lung or vascular surgery and have no physical restrictions, you may be able to give, with clearance from your doctor.  People with heart or lung disease who have activity restrictions will not qualify for donation.

Individuals who have blood cancer should not give blood.  Donors with other forms of cancer are typically eligible to donate one to five years after recovery.  Skin cancer doesn’t necessarily make someone ineligible for donation.

People who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease who’re no longer under a doctor’s care are eligible.

Donors with sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis or gonorrhea, are deferred for one year after their treatment is completed.

While potential donors should regularly check back to see if they’re eligible, certain conditions and/or medications may permanently prevent someone from giving blood.

For the safety of transfusion recipients, anyone who has HIV/AIDS, has tested positive for HIV/AIDS, or has come into sexual contact with someone diagnosed with HIV/AIDS will not qualify to donate blood.

For a more complete list of donor eligibility guidelines, please visit: http://giveapint.org/information/donate_eligibility.php

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Top Ten Excuses for Not Giving Blood

4. "I'm afraid of catching a disease."

Believe it or not, donating blood can actually help you lower your risk of disease.  High blood iron levels have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, a leading killer in our country.  Giving blood helps remove iron from the blood stream — so you’re actually doing yourself a favor by donating blood.  Both your blood pressure and cholesterol are tested when you give blood, and since high blood pressure and cholesterol are commonly linked to heart disease, donating blood can help you and your physician prevent and deal with heart health issues.  Recent international studies also suggest that giving blood frequently may lower the risk of cancer. 

Giving blood is extremely safe — there’s no chance of getting a disease by donating blood. All equipment is sterile and used only once.  Plus, as soon as the disposable equipment has been used to collect a donation, it is discarded in a container labeled as bio-hazardous.

That being said, there are a few steps you can take before and after blood donation to make it as safe and pleasant an experience as possible. Not only are blood donations vital – saving up to three lives, but donating gives you an excuse to eat a big (but still healthy) meal and take a day off from your workout routine!  Taking a break from physical activity is recommended for a few hours up to a day after giving blood.

Drinking plenty of fluid before blood donation helps the process go faster, and drinking water or juice after donating will help you recover — so you can get back in action sooner rather than later.  The Blood Bank of Hawaii reports that if you stay hydrated, the fluids you lose in blood donation will be replaced in less than a day!  But the recipient of your donation will be thankful for a lifetime.

Donated blood is safer than ever, due largely to the careful screening of donors, who are privately screened to make sure they meet eligibility standards.  Donated blood is also lab tested, which may help detect health issues that donors were previously unaware of so they can seek medical treatment. 

In addition to being licensed and accredited by the FDA, Miller-Keystone Blood Center is accredited the American Association of Blood Banks, and the state departments of health in PA, NJ, NY and MD.

 

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #3. “My Blood Type Is Not In Demand.”

People often think that the most common blood types are least in demand — after all, there are more donors of that type then, right?  Wrong! The more people that have a blood type, the more their blood donations are vital because the higher the demand generally is for transfusions of that blood type.

For instance, one in three persons in the general population is O+, and one in three is A+.  A high proportion of people with a certain blood type that also means there will be a greater need for that type when multiple medical emergencies arise.

Potential organ recipients may have to pass up life-saving organs if their blood type isn’t available when they find out that an organ is available. Other surgery patients may also have to put off surgery if enough blood of their type available isn’t available.

Pediatric cancer patients, premature infants and children undergoing heart surgery also rely on blood and platelets from donors of all blood types to get the treatment they need, according to America’s Blood Centers.  Other nonemergency surgeries, such as orthopedic operations, may also be postponed if there is a blood shortage.

Blood centers run short of all types of blood, especially during the summer and winter months when there are higher demands and fewer donations due to travel and holidays. If all donors (including you!) gave at least twice a year, it would help prevent blood shortages year-round.

While blood centers need donors of all blood types to maintain the blood supply, type O-negative blood donations are vital, because it’s the universal donor — unlike other blood types, it can be given to people with all blood types.

The stock of type O-negative blood can mean life or death for trauma patients.  In the time it takes for hospital workers to test and match a trauma patient’s blood, the patient could bleed to death, according to an article published a few years ago in the Seattle Times.  But if a hospital has type O-negative blood on-hand, it can be given to a trauma patient immediately without fear of life-threatening complications.  Likewise, people with type AB blood, either positive or negative, are universal plasma donors.

The rarest blood type is one that’s not on the shelf when a patient needs it.  By giving blood, you can give the gift of life to as many as three people, no matter what blood type you have.

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #2. “Others Are Donating Enough.”

This statement is inaccurate. Approximately half of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, yet only five percent of those who’re eligible actually give blood!

Nationally, blood supplies sometimes runs low, especially during summer and winter months. Running out of blood isn’t like running out of an ingredient while cooking, however — there is no substitute for blood.

Someone needs blood every two seconds. That’s about as often as you blink.  To them, your blood is irreplaceable.  Your body, on the other hand, replaces the fluid lost within hours and the red blood cells within a month of donating, according to America’s Blood Centers.  

Just like food and medication, blood has an expiration date, adding to Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s dependency on a steady stream of donors.  Whole blood has a shelf-life of about a month and half; platelets, used to treat cancer patients and burn victims, have a shelf-life of less than a week.

MKBC continually needs blood donors to keep the community’s blood supply at a safe level. As the only supplier to over 21 regional hospitals that need over 450 units of blood for their patients daily, MKBC needs your blood to keep premature infants, accident victims, burn victims, cancer patients and others in need of life-saving transfusions alive.

Some of the top reasons patients need blood: premature birth, accidents, burns, cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal tract disease and transplants.  Here’s how many units of blood patients in need typically use:

• Premature Infant: 1-4 units of red cells
• Automobile Accident: 5-100 units of red cells
• Burn Victims: 20 units of platelets
• Cancer Patient: 3-10 units of red cells / 10-30 units of platelets
• Sickle Cell Patient: 10-20 units of red cells
• Heart Surgery: 3-8 units of red cells / 1-10 units of platelets / 2-5 units of plasma
• Organ Transplant: 10-30 units of red cells / 10-30 units of platelets / 10-20 units of plasma / 20 bags of cryoprecipitate
• Bone Marrow Transplant: 15-20 units of red cells / 100-120 units of platelets

If blood donors gave just twice a year, blood shortages would be rare. 

Unfortunately, many people don’t start giving blood until someone they know — a neighbor, friend or family member — needs it.  By donating blood on a regular basis, you can help ensure that enough blood is there when someone you love depends on it.

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Top Ten Reasons for Not Giving Blood

Reason #1. “I’m afraid of needles.”

If you’re afraid of needles, you’re far from alone. In fact, ABC News reported in 2008 that up to ten percent of the population may be affected by needle phobia.

Most people can agree that getting injected with Novacaine at the dentist isn’t one of their favorite things to do, nor is the momentary prick of getting a vaccine or the pinch of a needle for a blood test. However, the minimal discomfort of a momentary prick is certainly worth it when its cause is giving the gift of blood, the gift of life, for as many as three other people.

Fear of needles is certainly a valid concern and is even recognized by mental health professionals as a mental disorder. Admittedly, blood donation requires not one but two quick needle sticks — one during the interview to check a donor’s iron level and another to take his or her donation.

Even if thinking about needles makes you cringe, you can still be a life-saving blood donor. Some people decide to donate blood to overcome their fears, and the donation process itself causes little discomfort; the quick pinch to test the iron level is the worst part for many donors.

While getting pricked with a needle certainly isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone, the actual whole blood donation typically takes less than ten minutes. Once it’s over, a member of the MKBC staff will hook you up with a bandage and you can reward yourself with some sweet treats at the canteen.

Plus, drinking plenty of water before your donation can help minimize the pinch factor. According to blood donation experts, staying hydrated will cut down on the time it takes to collect your donation and make you feel better after it’s over.

Today, it is commonplace for adults to have multiple tattoos and piercings — all of which required a needle prick. The American Academy of Dermatology reported that 24 percent of adults surveyed in 2004 said they had a tattoo, and 34 percent reported having ear piercings.

Why not endure those same pricks we so willingly endure for our own health or appearance to save the life of another person?

A resident of Easton, Sarah Peters is a junior at Penn State University, and a Public Relations Intern at Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Your Donation. Your Community. Your Blood Center.

What does it mean to be an exclusive blood supplier?

Miller-Keystone Blood Center was established in 1971 as an not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) community organization.  Our history of compliance with FDA requirements, combined with our ISO9001:2008 certification, demonstrates our commitment to quality and service excellence.  For more than 40 years, we have delivered the safe, reliable blood supply that your families, neighbors and community need.

MKBC is the only blood provider to hospitals in ten (10) Pennsylvania and New Jersey counties, including the Blue Mountain Health System (Lehighton and Palmerton), Brandywine Hospital, Easton Hospital, Grand View Hospital, Greater Hazleton Health Alliance, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Health Network (Allentown and Bethlehem), Phoenixville Hospital, Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Sacred Heart Hospital, St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network (Allentown, Bethlehem, Coaldale and Quakertown), Warren Hospital and Westfield Hospital. 

Blood donated through Miller-Keystone Blood Center ensures that the blood needs of our regional hospitals are met.  Only blood donated through MKBC is transfused at these hospitals, and these facilities do not obtain blood products from any other blood center organization.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center subscribes to a community-based blood banking philosophy. That means our donors know that the blood they give stays in their community first – helping our family members, neighbors and friends.

Joseph A. Yelo, Vice President of Administration /

Sean Tinney, Director of Business Development

Joseph A. Yelo, MBA, MT (ASCP) SBB holds a BS degree from Penn State University, and a BA and MBA from LaSalle University, in addition to a specialty certification in blood banking from the American Association of Blood Banks. He has served as MKBC’s Vice President of Administration since 1985.  Sean Tinney holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Kutztown University. He has served as Director of Business Development for Miller-Keystone Blood Center since 2009.

Ensuring the Safety of our Community’s Blood Supply

One of the criteria for blood donation is that a prospective donor should not have had infectious hepatitis after the age of 12.  In addition it must have been a year since the prospective donor had close contact with someone who has infectious hepatitis   It is easy to get confused about who should donate and who should not because the term hepatitis is usually associated with a viral infection.

The word “hepatitis” comes from the Greek word for the liver, “hepat” plus the Greek suffix for inflammation, “-itis”.  So, hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver.  Liver inflammation can have many causes - chemicals (drugs), autoimmune diseases, and surgical conditions to name a few.  Viruses, however, target the liver cells.  They are designed to attack the liver cells in order to make new viruses.  When there are too many viruses in the cell, it bursts releasing millions of new viruses to infect other liver cells.  This process results in the liver inflammation, hepatitis. The reason why we defer donors with infectious hepatitis or exposure to infectious hepatitis is because, unlike other causes, the viruses can be transmitted through the blood. 

Chemicals associated with hepatitis include alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, vinyl chloride, the herbicide paraquat and polychlorinated biphenyls.  Over the counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprophen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can cause liver inflammation, especially when combined with alcohol.  Prescription medications such as halothane (a general anesthetic), isoniazide (antibiotic for TB), valproic acid (Depecote), phenytoin (Dilantin) most cholesterol lowering agents and other drugs can cause hepatitis.  Some herbal medicines also can cause liver inflammation including cascara, chaparral, comfrey, kava, and ephedra.  Hereditary metabolic disorders, such as Wilson’s disease, hemochromatosis or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cause liver inflammation because of abnormal accumulation of material (copper, iron or fat) in the liver cells causing them to rupture.  Autoimmune disease can attack the liver cells, or ducts of the liver causing inflammation. Stones in the gallbladder can cause bile to back up into the liver causing hepatitis.  None of these causes of hepatitis are due to a viral infection, and once the donor is recovered, evaluation for blood donation should be permitted, as long as the donor is otherwise in good health.

A number of viruses have been associated with hepatitis.  Hepatitis A is usually acquired from ingesting contaminated food.  Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with contaminated blood or body fluid, as is Hepatitis C.  Much rarer are Hepatitis viruses E, D and G (I don’t know where hepatitis F went). Usually when a person gets hepatitis A or B they develop flu-like symptoms.  Less often, the person becomes very sick needs to be hospitalized.  However, most often when the person recovers the virus is gone and no longer infectious.  Today, even hepatitis C responds pretty well to treatment and the virus becomes undetectable. So, even though a donor can be exposed to someone who had hepatitis, because the exposure was not to someone who has hepatitis it is ok to evaluate the donor for blood donation at the time they present to donate.  

Hepatitis viruses can be a little tricky.  They can cause a low level infection, “chronic hepatitis.” People with chronic hepatitis have hepatitis.  These individuals cannot donate. A prospective donor who has been exposed to a person with chronic hepatitis or active hepatitis can become infected by the virus and transmit hepatitis through the blood.  It is permissible to evaluate these donors one year after the most recent exposure to someone who has hepatitis, either acute or chronic. 

In summery:

1. Hepatitis is not always caused by a virus.

2. A person may donate without deferral if the person is in good health and had hepatitis due to a non-infectious cause.

3.A person may donate without deferral if exposed to a person who had viral hepatitis more that a year ago, but no longer has hepatitis. 

4. A person who has ever had viral hepatitis after age 12 may not donate.

5. A person who has viral chronic hepatitis still has hepatitis.

6. A donor who was exposed to a person with virus caused hepatitis or chronic hepatitis may be evaluated to donate one year after the most recent exposure.

D. Kip Kuttner, D.O. holds a BA in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado, and his D.O. from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. Dr. Kuttner completed his internship at the Tulsa Regional Medical Center, his residency at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and Fellowships at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, and the American Red Cross Blood and Tissue Services. He is certified by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners and the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, as well as Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking. He has served as Miller-Keystone Blood Vice President/Medical Director since 1995. 

Relying on the Generosity of Others

As a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Miller-Keystone Blood Center relies on the generosity of community businesses, government resources, foundations and individuals to help us achieve our goals and remain true to our mission of ensuring a safe, stable and constant blood supply in the 10 counties we serve.

We face an enormous challenge of maintaining a safe and adequate community blood supply to serve the hospital patients in our region. Much of that challenge is inherent in that there is no substitute for blood; the only source is the volunteer blood donor.

Blood that is donated has a short shelf life – 5 days for platelets and 42 days for red blood cells. That is why a constant stream of blood donors is necessary to ensure an ongoing supply of lifesaving blood products is available for the hospitals in our region.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that all blood centers implement new laboratory technology and blood collection equipment as they become available. In addition to this mandate, we face strict Quality Assurance regulations and out-of-date equipment that must be replaced on a relatively continual basis. New equipment guarantees the safety of the blood supply and allows us to operate in the most cost-effective and productive manner possible.

We are privileged to have volunteer blood donors who roll up their sleeves to provide the community with the gift of life, and we remain grateful to all the volunteers who donate their time, talent and philanthropic support.  It is only with their ongoing assistance that we can continue to ensure a safe and productive blood center.

Sandra D. Thomas, Director of Development

Sandra D. Thomas holds a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Cedar Crest College, and a Masters Degree in Social Work from Marywood University. Ms. Thomas also serves as a Lieutenant with the U.S. Navy. She has served as Director of Development for Miller-Keystone Blood Center since 2001.

Today’s Students are Tomorrow’s Lifesavers

I often use the word “community” in our advertisements, in the scripts that our recruiters use when calling on potential donors, and with our blood drive coordinators.  Sometimes when a word is heard regularly it can lose its value.  I wanted to take this opportunity to reinstate what “community” means to Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

The MKBC Community is made up of 10 counties and 21 hospitals.  Even more, it is made up of thousands of local hospital patients, who rely on those of us who are healthy to donate blood.  When I drive into work and hear on 99.9 The Hawk or WEEU about an accident on Rt 22 or I-78, I immediately wonder how bad the accident is and if those involved will need blood.  The Blood Center will then receive a call from St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Health Network – stating that they need a rare blood type or four times their normal order of platelets for the day to treat the accident victims.  This push for additional blood products is above and beyond the hospital’s normal orders for scheduled, elective surgeries.  In some cases we are even more connected to the accident.  In the past it has been one of our own employees driving to work… one of our neighbors…. a local high school student.

I have a vested interest in this community.  I went to high school and college here, I had both my children at St. Luke’s Hospital, and I am proud to work for an organization that has created a family of employees who help to save the lives of those living right here in our community.

As our population ages it places an increased demand on the need for blood, and this demand is already exceeding the number of active blood donors within our community. Without the support of our community’s high schools and colleges, we would not be able to meet the demands of our local hospitals, and we may not have the opportunity to create a life-long donor.  Today's high school and college students are tomorrow's lifesavers, and we must engage them now to become regular blood donors, instilling in them the foundation for a lifestyle of community giving. 

Catherine Palumbo, Director of Donor Recruitment and Marketing

Catherine Palumbo holds a Bachelors Degree in Marketing/Management from DeSales University.  She has over 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and has served as Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s Director of Donor Recruitment and Marketing since 2008.  

Larry’s Story

In 1967, I drove my motorcycle to the Auburn Dam to go waterskiing with a friend. When the boat motor failed to start, I volunteered to ride my bike to get a new spark plug. I had gone a mile or so on a narrow, rough macadam road when I came to a hill with a sharp right curve. That is the last thing I remember.

Several days later, I finally awoke in a revolving hospital bed. The doctors were trying to get circulation into my left leg, in order to save it from amputation. I also learned the doctors were considering amputating my right arm because it was missing tendons and muscle. Eventually the doctors had to amputate my left leg. Not being aware of too much through six (6) operations and a 104-degree fever, I finally awoke to some form of reality. That is when I found out that I almost died in the emergency room.

I had had an almost head-on collision with an Oldsmobile 88. Witnesses said I was thrown 45 feet into the air. When I landed, I was disemboweled and bleeding profusely from my abdomen, my left arm and right leg. My left leg was smashed.

Back in the mid-60's, there was no EMS service as we know it today. It took over an hour and a half for the volunteer ambulance to get me to the hospital, and because of the long delay, I had no pulse, only a heartbeat. I was later told that I had lost 90% of my blood, and that my surviving was nothing short of a miracle. I was told that I received more than 40 pints of life-sustaining blood.

I had often donated before my accident, but after the accident I learned first-hand how important donating blood really is. Once I regarding my health, I began donating on a regular basis, and am still doing so today. Every single day, I am grateful to those who gave their blood. In doing so, they saved my life. They are heroes.

Lawrence Alati, Shoemakersville, PA