Avon Lake man makes 900th donation

A milestone was reached Sept. 11 at Vitalant - Elyria Donation Center, 710 Leona St., by Al Whitney, an 82-year-old Avon Lake resident, who made his 900th platelet donation.

“The donation is a pretty big deal,” said Sarah Wering, marketing and communication specialist at Vitalant. “Donating platelets is something you can donate up to 24 times per year, so this benchmark shows Al’s commitment to not just giving blood but also platelets.”

Wering said the need for whole blood is important, but said platelet need should not be overlooked.

“When donating blood, red blood cells can be refrigerated and stored for 42 days,” she said. “We don’t have that luxury with platelets; they need to be at room temperature and must be transfused within five days.”

Wering said platelets are important for helping cancer patients.

“Chemo wipes all your good cells,” she said. “Platelets are needed to give back what is lost. Folks can come in and donate by calling us (440-322-5700 ext. 2850). They then set up an appointment, and we will have them do a whole blood donation first to see if they can be a donor for platelets.”

Michelle Greenland, a donor care supervisor at Vitalant, said the staff tests to see if potential donors have good veins.

“We look for good veins, unlike with whole blood, we take and return in one process with platelets,” she said. “We need to make sure the vein is a suitable one. If females want to be donors, we will test, if they have had children, for HLA (human leukocyte antigen) antibodies; you can be a donor if this test comes back negative.”

Whitney said platelet donations go a long way.

“What takes you an hour to donate, will make a lifetime of hours for another,” he said. “There are people being treated for cancer that need it. If it’s because people are worried about needles, think of the patients who have cancer. Donate so you can give someone another birthday.”

Whitney, who said his passion for blood/platelet donation goes back many years, ran a blood drive at Avon Lake Olde Firehouse, 100 Avon Belden Road for 35 years as a volunteer.

He also started Platelets Across America where he traveled across the country coordinating blood drives and recruiting donors. The Vitalant - Elyria is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays. For information, call 440933-616, visit www.plateletsacrossamerica.org or email plateletsusa@kellnet.com.

ZACHARY SRNIS — THE MORNING JOURNAL Al Whitney, 82, of Avon Lake, gives platelets Sept. 11 with the help of Michelle Greenland, a donor care supervisor at Vitalant. The donation was Whitney’s 900th platelet donation.