Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore To Shore donate
thousands of boxes of cookies to Michigan Blood

Every day, people come to Michigan Blood to give lifesaving gifts but as of today, Michigan Blood is serving up a donation of a different sort: Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Tag-A-Longs, Trefoils, and Samoas from the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore, courtesy of the Gift of Caring program. Girl Scout cookies are being served in the post-donation areas, while supplies last, at main donor sites across Michigan.

Often, people want to support the Girl Scouts but don’t actually want the cookies for a variety of reasons. This year, Michigan Blood, as the 2013 Gift of Caring designated charity, received over 3,000 boxes of those “unwanted” cookies.

“Our donors at our donor centers across the state are getting a real treat!  When most families have already gone through their supply of Girl Scout cookies, we’re just getting started,” said Jim Childress, Vice President of Community Relations for Michigan Blood. “We are honored to be chosen for the third year in a row by the Girl Scouts and the generosity they’ve shown echoes the generosity we see every day in our donors.”

Any healthy person 17 or older (or 16 with parental consent) who weighs at least 110 pounds may be eligible to give blood every 56 days.  Blood donors should bring photo ID (or two forms of non-photo ID). Appointments (preferred, but not required) can be made online at www.miblood.org or by calling 1-866-MIBLOOD (642-5663).

With the first holiday weekend of the season, many people will travel to parades, cook-outs, and spend time with family and friends. This time of year also traditionally signals the start of the slow-down in blood donations.

Michigan Blood is encouraging donors to make an appointment to stop in one of our donor centers during the week following Memorial Day to help ensure an adequate blood supply at hospitals around Michigan.

“We know people get busy this time of year with outdoor activities, graduations and travel,” says Jim Childress, Vice President of Community Relations.  “Still, the need for blood never takes a vacation, so we are asking people to set aside about an hour of time to help save lives.”

As a thank you during our Give and Go campaign, everyone who attempts to donate will receive a $10 Meijer gas card. Childress notes, “People are on the go more this time of year, so the cards are a simple gesture to say thanks for taking time out to help boost the blood supply.” Donors will also get the chance to enter a drawing to win a $1000 Meijer gift card.

Here are details for Give and Go in your area:

• Grand Rapids – 1036 Fuller Ave NE – May 28-30 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and May 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Traverse City – 2575 Aero Park Drive – May 28-30 from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 31 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saginaw – 1771 Tittabawassee Road – May 28-30 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and May 31 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Dow Diamond – 825 East Main Street – May 28-31 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Midland – 4005 Orchard Drive – May 28 from Noon to 7 p.m. and May 31 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Bay City – 1017 North Johnson Street – May 29 from Noon to 7 p.m. and May 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• St. Joseph – 2710 Cleveland Avenue – May 28 & 29 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Kalamazoo – 524 East Milham Ave – May 30 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and May 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Any healthy person 17 or older (or 16 with parental consent) who weighs at least 110 pounds may be eligible to give blood every 56 days.  Blood donors should bring photo ID (or two forms of non-photo ID). Appointments (preferred, but not required) can be made online at www.miblood.org or by calling 1-866-MIBLOOD.

Some recent events include:

• Covenant HealthCare's Covenant Kids Telethon Fundraiser – April 2013
• Borgess Run for the Health of It! – May 2013

Some upcoming events include:

• Run For A Cause ... Our Kids – Benefitting Helen DeVos Children's Hospital – June 15, 2013
• Lake Michigan Credit Union Bridge Run – Benefitting Saint Mary's Hospital – September 15, 2013
• Bronson Children's Hospital Walk and Run – September 29, 2013

We hope to see you there!

David Lyons has a special place in his heart for Creston High School. A 1987 graduate, he came back to teach honors English in 1993, and in 1999, he took over as the Advisor for the student run National Honor Society. Under his watch, David has taught, mentored, and left a lasting mark on more than 1200 students.  And while David is happy to talk AP English with you, one of his most favorite topics is the honor students who run coordinate Creston’s blood drives.  Many of the students are enrolled in the Grand Rapids Area Pre College Engineering Program (GRAPCEP) program at Creston in partnership with Davenport University. This is a school of choice program which is open to all students who fulfill the academic standards and behavioral expectations of the program. Course work has an engineering and biomedical focus, and students participate in internships throughout the greater Grand Rapids area. 

Whether David’s students line up to coordinate and support the biannual blood drives because of his influence or their interest in bioscience is a matter for friendly debate.  However,  there is no mistaking the vital role these students play in securing a safe, adequate and diverse blood supply for all the hospitals in the Grand Rapids area. In fact, he often tells them the story of his mom, who in 2007, had to have triple bypass surgery and needed blood. He is convinced one of his students helped save her life. David says, “There is not better gift than to give to people you’ll never meet. Through this selfless gift of donating blood, you’re giving the gift of life.” David also is passionate about “how important it is to teach young people about giving back to their community, and in giving blood, you can help others without having to open a wallet.”

National Volunteer Week runs April 21-27, 2013, and Michigan Blood is grateful for teachers like David and his National Honor Society students who voluntarily step up to help their neighbors. Creston High School will be closing in June and becoming the new home for City High/Middle School. Creston students will be redistricted, and David is unclear as to where his next teaching assignment will take him. One thing is certain though, the life lessons he has taught his students will be carried with them, wherever their lives take them. And as Bill Rietscha, CEO of Michigan Blood, explains: “Not only are these students playing a vital role today – they are setting the stage for making a lifesaving impact for years to come.  As our donor base ages and more ‘baby boomers’ become ineligible to donate, it is essential that we continue to introduce students to the donation process while in high school and encourage them to continue upon graduation.”

From left: Mallory Robinson, Kaleyiah Hudson-Anderson, Shalah Robinson, David Lyons, Leya Woods, Chrisan Stewart, Ana Arvizu-Mata, Jasmine Jones.  Back row from left: Caleb Howard, Kaleab Mamo.

On Monday, April 22, 2013, Michigan Blood will host more than 75 high school students and advisors from throughout West Michigan for an interactive Leadership Training Workshop to be held  from 10 am – 1:00 pm at Celebration Cinema North (2121 Celebration Dr. NE (Knapp and the East Beltline) in Grand Rapids.  The workshop is designed to provide student leaders with critical tools to engage their classmates in the blood donation process. 

Bill Rietscha, CEO of Michigan Blood, explains:  “It is our privilege to work with students throughout Michigan and engage them in the critical role of helping secure a safe and adequate blood supply for over 40 Michigan-based hospitals, and every hospital in Kent County.  Not only is their role important today – it sets the stage for making a lifesaving impact for years to come.  As our donor base ages and more ‘baby boomers’ become ineligible to donate, it is essential that we continue to introduce students to the donation process while in high school and encourage them to continue upon graduation.”

During this interactive workshop, high school blood drive coordinators will develop practical tools and leadership skills to host successful drives.  This three hour program will include interactive role playing, sharing best practices with other high school students, and brainstorming for creative messaging.   Students also will fine tune their social media skills and learn how their schools can host cause-based Summer Step Up programs to raise needed funding for their school organizations. 

This workshop is being piloted in Grand Rapids and will be expanded to cover Michigan Blood’s Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Traverse City, Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City service areas.    

For additional details, contact: Kristen Sisson at 616.233.8524 or ksisson@miblood.org.

On Friday, April 19th, Michigan Blood will kick off a critical community health initiative that has the potential to improve the lives of African-Americans. Engaged community leaders representing community services, healthcare, public/private/nonprofit organizations and businesses, faith-based groups, education, and the media will convene from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. at Saginaw Valley State University in the Regional Education Center, Room 202, to address the mounting need to diversify the community blood supply.

Dr. Tammon Nash, the Associate Medical Director at Michigan Blood, will serve at the keynote speaker. As part of her post-doctoral fellowship with the University of Michigan’s Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Research Project, Dr. Nash analyzed factors that influence African-Americans and their willingness to donate blood. She will discuss her findings and the importance of increasing blood donations from African-Americans. Together with our panelists from the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America - Michigan Chapter and a patient who relies on frequent blood transfusions, she will discuss how to engage communities in doing so.

As the blood products provider to more than 40 hospitals in our state, Michigan Blood is committed to diversifying the blood supply because it ensures the best care for patients in need of life-saving blood transfusions. While blood donations from all ethnic groups are critical, Michigan Blood is committed to raising awareness about the need for African-American donors in particular. It’s critical because less than two percent of African-Americans are blood donors, yet only African-American donors have unique blood traits that can help other African-Americans with life-threatening illnesses. For patients in need of regular transfusions, often the best blood match comes from donors within their ethnic group.

Community leaders will be encouraged to join a planning committee to engage the African American community to support diversifying the blood supply.  A fall 2013 community awareness expo and blood drive is being planned.   

For additional details and to get involved in this initiative, contact: Tamar Chipp at 989-497-1053 or tchipp@miblood.org.

Traverse City Mother Shares Her Gift in Celebration of Mother’s Day

A mother’s joy of holding her healthy newborn in her arms for the first time is one of the most amazing moments.  Now imagine this euphoria with an added bonus: the opportunity to pay this gift forward and save a life by donating the blood stem cells from the baby’s umbilical cord. Literally within the first few minutes of a newborn’s life, he or she can be making a difference for a stranger next door, or on the opposite side of the globe. 

The decision to donate umbilical cord blood does not interfere with birthing. According to Mary Burroughs, Supervisor of Michigan Blood’s Cord Blood Bank, “Collection is quick, simple, and free of charge to the patient. There is no risk or pain for either the mother or baby – and moms who deliver by C-section also can donate their cord blood.” 

Expectant mothers interested in donating their newborn’s umbilical cord blood stem cells should contact Michigan Blood (1-866-MIBLOOD or 616.233.8604) and request a collection kit be sent to them. Michigan Blood confirms each expectant mother’s donation intentions with her physician or midwife, and sends a courier to the hospital after delivery. The blood stem cells are tested, frozen and stored at Michigan Blood until a match is found and they can be used to save a life. Cords which are not donated are treated as bio waste and discarded.”

When it opened in 1999, the cord bank at Michigan Blood was  the state’s first public cord blood bank and today is one of only 20 such public banks in the country. Public cord blood banks collect, test, and store the blood stem cell from a newborn’s umbilical cord (not to be confused with embryonic stem cells). For people with certain life-threatening diseases like leukemia and lymphoma, a transplant of stem cells from cord blood or marrow may represent the best hope for survival. Cord blood stored at Michigan Blood is listed on the Be the Match® registry, a global resource for matching cord blood with unrelated patients who need blood stem cell transplants. 

To date, Michigan Blood has provided 133 cord blood stem cell transplants to patients throughout the world – as close as Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and as far as New Zealand, covering five of the world’s 7 continents. Michigan Blood’s donor center for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) has also provided over 600 blood stem cell (marrow) transplants from its registry of over 57,000 adult donors.

Carrie Smith of Traverse City is the mother of 3 young children, and she
elected to donate her children’s umbilical cords after reading a pamphlet in her doctor’s office. “I talked to my husband and we both agreed that of course we were going to donate knowing we had a chance to help someone in need and save a life.”  Carrie delivered her oldest child, Ella, on July 5, 2004, and in 2012, Ella’s stem cells were transplanted into a 58 year old man with leukemia. According to Carrie, “Ella was very excited to hear that she made a difference in someone’s life – especially since she had just arrived in the world only to turn around a give a miracle to someone else.”

Asked if Carrie would recommend cord donation to other expecting moms, she resoundingly said, “absolutely! The cord is treated as waste, when its stem cells carry life-saving opportunities. It is so easy – all joking aside, all you have to do is remember to take the collection kit with you to the hospital.”   

According to Dr. Lee Ann Weitekamp, Michigan Blood’s Vice President of Quality and Medical Services, “there are three main sources of blood cells for transplant.  Two sources are from adults, the bone marrow and peripheral blood. The third source is from cord blood obtained from the umbilical cord after the birth of a child. Cord blood contains fewer blood stem cells than the adult sources, but the cells present are able to reproduce more efficiently. The cord cells also are less fussy in terms of tissue type matching, which helps reduce a common problem in transplantation called graft vs. host disease. It allows more patients to use cord cells because the match doesn't need to be as close.”

Michigan Blood works with the following Michigan hospitals for donations:

• Borgess Medical Center - Kalamazoo, MI
• Bronson Methodist Hospital - Kalamazoo, MI
• Covenant Medical Center Harrison - Saginaw, MI
• Mercy General Health Partners-Hackley - Muskegon, MI
• Holland Hospital - Holland, MI
• Lakeland Hospital St. Joseph - St. Joseph, MI
• Lakeland Hospital Niles - Niles, MI
• Metro Health Hospital - Wyoming, MI
• MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland, MI
• Munson Medical Center - Traverse City, MI
• North Ottawa Community Hospital - Grand Haven, MI
• Saint Mary's Health Care - Grand Rapids, MI
• Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital - Grand Rapids, MI
• Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital - Fremont, MI
• Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital – Zeeland, MI

For additional information, call 616.233-8598 or click http://www.miblood.org/donating-cord-blood/.

Her 7-year old son Nicholas was born with a hole in his heart and needed blood transfusions as he underwent surgeries just days after he was born. “My son had lots of medical issues,” says Amelia, “I’m trying to teach him how to give back.” When Amelia joins other runners on the race course at the Borgess run, she gets that same sense of being part of a connected community. “It makes me feel good. That’s my favorite part. I love seeing all the other people out there.”
 
The weekend of events begins on Friday May 3rd at the Kids Fun Run.  Kids who stop by the Michigan Blood display can say hello to Ruby, our blood drop mascot. Then, for runners and walkers, Michigan Blood will have a booth at the Saturday Expo at Wings Stadium. Race participants are invited to fill out their own race bib with a personalized message to wear on their backs on race day. Also, runners are invited to sign up to join others around the country by supporting upcoming blood drives and the victims of the tragic events at this year’s Boston Marathon. Then on race Day May 5th, watch for our team members from Michigan Blood who will be out running and cheering along with thousands of others at the Kalamazoo Marathon and Borgess Run for the Health of It 5k. We hope to see many of our donors, volunteers and those whose lives have been saved out on the course!
 
In the coming months watch for these and other events with our hospital partners:

• Run For A Cause…Our Kids – benefitting Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital – June 15, 2013
• Lake Michigan Credit Union Bridge Run – benefitting Saint Mary’s Health Care – September 15, 2013
• Bronson Children’s Hospital Walk and Run – September 29, 2013

Blood Donations Sought as a Tribute to
Sharon Childs – She Started Michigan Blood in Traverse City and is Retiring after 43 years  

On Wednesday, March 27, 2013, Michigan Blood invites the Grand Traverse Bay community to celebrate the impactful role Sharon Childs has played in securing a safe andadequate blood supply for
Munson Medical Center and more than 40 other Michigan-based hospitals. Childs is retiring from Michigan Blood after 43 years of service. In 1994, she moved her family to Traverse City from Saginaw to help establish Michigan Blood as the provider of blood locally. Since then, Childs has played a leading role in the collection of more than 204,589 units of blood. 

A Sharon Childs Tribute Day Blood Drive will be held Wednesday, March 27^th from 10:30 am – 6 pm at the Michigan Blood Donor Center at 2575 Aero Park Drive (Map It). Every person who attempts to donate will receive a $10 Meijer gift card and raise money for a local charity. Safe Harbor will receive $10 from Michigan Blood for every attempted donation during the Tribute drive. Safe Harbor is a faith-based ministry offering love and service to the homeless of the Traverse City area through emergency shelter, meals, community, and encouragement to move forward in a positive direction in their lives. It’s a charity that Sharon Child’s has supported for many years and it was chosen at her request.

Bill Rietscha, Michigan Blood’s President and CEO, notes: “Michigan Blood has been fortunate to have Sharon Childs as a dedicated leader and associate for the past 43 years. What better way to honor Sharon than by hosting a blood drive in her name that will benefit the community she loves.”  

Appointments are encouraged; to schedule a time to donate or to learn more, call 1.866.642-5663.

Blood donors know the critical role they play in saving lives – whether the anonymous patients they are helping are suffering from cancer, a chronic illness, burns, an injury, or trauma. Because there is no substitute for human blood, donors generously roll up their sleeves throughout the year at one of Michigan Blood’s 3700 mobiles drives or nine donor centers statewide to help patients in more than 40 hospitals in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The majority of blood donations are done by collecting whole blood and then separating the needed components by red cells, white cells, plasma, and platelets in the laboratory. Blood donations also can be done by a sophisticated process called apheresis, whereby just the needed blood component(s) are collected and the remaining blood is returned to the donor. There are many advantages to donating lifesaving red cells, platelets, and plasma through the apheresis process. For the patient, it is possible to collect larger amounts of just the needed, perishable component. In the case of apheresis platelet donation, it is possible to collect the amount of platelets found in 5-15 pints of whole blood – which can make a precious difference to a patient whose platelet production has been impaired. Platelets also must be transfused within 5 days of donation (which include 2 days for testing), so collecting platelets through apheresis is the most efficient way to do so.

Beginning Monday, March 4, 2013, Michigan Blood will offer the apheresis platelet procedure in its Traverse City donor center, 2575 Aero Park Drive. Apheresis donation is done by appointment only (1-866-MIBLOOD – 866-642-5663). The Traverse City donor center has been utilizing the apheresis technology to collect red cells and plasma, which is the fluid that carries all blood cells around the body and contains proteins for blood clotting. Plasma transfusions may be needed by people who lack certain blood proteins because of liver disease, burns, trauma or severe infections. Michigan Blood’s Grand Rapids (1036 Fuller NE) and Saginaw (Tittabawassee Road) Donor Centers also provide the apheresis collection process for red cells, plasma and platelets. All procedures are scheduled by appointment.  Due to the short life span of platelets, the Grand Rapids donor center offers apheresis appointments 364 days per year (Closed on Christmas).

Mark Palkowski, Vice President of Operations for Michigan Blood, notes: “Michigan Blood’s investment in offering the apheresis platelet procedure in our Traverse City Donor Center is a win-win-win.  With this procedure, one donor can provide the same amount of platelets traditionally collected from as many as 15 whole blood donors, so they know their life saving gift is helping more patients. We also can be even more responsive to Munson Medical Center and our other northern Michigan hospitals. Our apheresis plasma and red cell donors in the Grand Traverse area understand the benefit of apheresis and utilizing only the blood components needed.  Also, because apheresis donors are eligible to donate every 28 days, (as compared to every 56 for whole blood donation), our apheresis donors have more flexibility in scheduling.”

Scott Voltz, a science teacher and water polo coach at Rockford High School, is an avid apheresis platelet donor and he is never hesitant to share his experience with his students and encourages those 17 and older (16 with their parent or guardian’s permission) to attempt to donate. “I started donating whole blood when I was in high school. My grandfather was a donor for years – and my mom is -- so I learned at an early age how important donating is to help save lives. The procedure is really easy – I’ve been known to take a nap -- and the two hours are more than worth it to help out patients in need.” 

Voltz’s wife Alicia is quick to verify how vital platelets are. Alicia is a third year pediatric resident at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. She has given platelets to premature babies and young children fighting cancer or recovering from an injury or trauma. “Premature babies who have low platelet counts, or thrombocytopenia, are at risk for a number of serious complications, including bleeding in the brain. Kids with thrombocytopenia depend on the availability of platelet transfusions to decrease the risk of bleeding with necessary procedures, like a bone marrow biopsy in a cancer patient, surgery after a bad car accident, or a special IV when a patient is really sick in the intensive care unit. Our patients rely on the selfless generosity of donors like Scott, and I love how he is always rallying his students to follow his example.”

To learn more about apheresis platelet, plasma, and red cell donations or to schedule an appointment, call 1-866-MIBLOOD (642-5663).

Up North Live picked up the story. Read it here.

Rockford High School students produced a video about their science teacher, Scott Voltz, who also happens to be an apheresis platelet donor with Michigan Blood.