DONATION
Man hits milestone
Surrounded by his three daughters and four grandchildren, Thomas Engele was feeling the love Friday as he lay on a bed and made his 600th donation of platelets — a milestone for Regina’s Canadian Blood Services (CBS).
Engele made his first platelet donation on the day of love — Feb. 14, 1977.
The Reginan was on his way home from his job at IPSCO when he heard on the radio that the first 50 people to donate blood would receive an LP record, so he headed over to CBS.
“I never got an LP at all, but that was the start of my donations,” Engele said.
Looking at the tiny tots around his bed, he said when he realized how urgently platelets are needed to help cancer patients and small children, it “tears at my heart.” He has donated for decades. Some of those donations were made on work time because IPSCO encouraged its employees to donate blood. Now that he’s retired, the 63-year-old continues the tradition that takes about an hour out of his day.
“I’m going to try and donate for as long as possible,” Engele said.
Male donors between the ages of 17 and 35 are ideal, said Jan Barwell, a registered nurse and the clinic supervisor at CBS on Broad Street.
Although Engele is older than the typical platelet donor, Barwell said he’s one of the more dedicated donors.
“We certainly wouldn’t want to take that away,” she said.
“In Regina, this is the highest milestone that we’ve achieved.”
Engele was surprised to see his daughters and four of his seven grandchildren at CBS to celebrate his achievement.
They brought with them a sign congratulating him and a huge chocolate chip cookie.
His oldest daughter, Kara Anderson, is amazed by her father’s dedication.
“Every two weeks, no matter what, he books his appointment — it’s very rare that he has to cancel,” Anderson said.
“He’s on the bone marrow registry list hoping that one day he can be a match for somebody.”
Plateletpheresis a procedure where whole blood is removed from a donor, the blood is separated into its components, keeping the platelets, and then the remaining blood components are returned to the donor via a special machine.
“Thomas is helping thousands of patients across Saskatchewan and Canada,” said Katherine Wasylynka, territory manager with CBS. “It’s amazing when someone can come in and donate like that. The platelets go directly to help cancer patients, it helps for blood clotting — he’s literally saved thousands of lives.”
Trauma patients, those undergoing surgery or with bleeding problems or anemia are among those who have benefitted from the 600 pokes Thomas has had since 1977.
Platelets are kept at room temperature and are viable for five days.
“They have a very short expiry date unlike whole blood or red cells, which can be stored for 42 to 45 days in a very, very cold environment,” Barwell said.
If platelets aren’t required in Regina, they are sent to other Canadian centres.
“We never throw them out,” Barwell said.
Engele will receive a milestone 600 pin from CBS and be honoured in April at the annual Honouring Our Lifeblood event in Regina.
“We’re constantly recruiting new donors,” Wasylynka said.
“One out of two Canadians are eligible to donate, but only one out of every 60 do.”
Engele encourages everyone to make the time to donate. “It’s all for a good cause,” he said. “If you can help somebody, why not?”