Blood Donors to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Recognized for Life-saving Contributions
CONTACT: Janet Dotson at (323) 361-5979
Inaugural blood donor recognition event honors 150 people
LOS ANGELES - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles celebrated the contributions and “…altruistic spirit…” of the many blood donors who have demonstrated their commitment to ensuring that Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has a constant supply of blood for the seriously ill and injured children in its care.
Nearly 150 individual donors, family members and friends – who have donated more than 1,900 gallons of whole blood products and platelets to the many children at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles who require frequent transfusions and blood products to live – have been recognized by the hospital, along with groups and organizations that have hosted blood drives within their respective communities.
Joy L. Fridey, M.D., director of Transfusion Medicine at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, said that although blood donors are thanked regularly in many ways, this special recognition allowed them to hear from patients and families how “…their remarkable generosity has impacted the lives of so many.
“We understand the importance of what they do,” she said. “Their life-saving blood donations often keep children alive until their bodies and the healing gifts of our physicians, nurses and other caregivers restore them to better health.”
“Like many parents, whose children are undergoing lifesaving procedures, I put my fear of needles aside, and I donated blood and platelets,” said Richard Valdez, whose child had a rare heart condition that required surgery and four days on a heart-lung bypass machine that required many units of platelets and blood. “My son used my donated blood and platelets, and he used many units from anonymous donors, and for that I am very, very grateful.”
A number of blood donors over time have donated as many as 61 gallons of blood products for children at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
The following are the top ten Aphereis (platelets) donors: James O’Connor of Sunland, 61 gallons; Steven Peisner of Calabasas, 50 gallons; Chris Hoeflinn of Canyon Country, 38 gallons; Vincent Takas of Glendale, 37 gallons; Charles Marsh of Little Rock, 33 gallons; Ulysses Griggs of Altadena, 29 gallons; Lester Williams of Saugus, 28 gallons; Mark Banda of Port Hueneme, 26 gallons; Robert Glaus of Sylmar, 26 gallons; and John Schroeder of La Cresenta, 26 gallons.
The top ten whole blood gallon donors are: Joseph Woodall of Thousand Oaks, 13 gallons; Frank Mattoon of Thousand Oaks, 11 gallons; Socorro Ortiz of Diamond Bar, 10 gallons; Carl Bell, Encino, 9 gallons; Jean Jessie of Hollywood, 9 gallons; Charles Kunz of Santa Clarita, 9 gallons; Christopher Lomax of Pasadena, 9 gallons; David Schmidt of Pasadena, 9 gallons; Terry Tanner of Los Angeles, 9 gallons; and Richard Brophy of Hollywood, 8 gallons.
Special recognition was given to groups that have demonstrated their commitment to saving the lives of the hospital’s young patients, including Rudolph & Sletten, the construction company working on the New Hospital Building at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, which has sponsored blood drives with its construction workers, resulting in the donation of at least 680 pints of blood, and much needed platelets, since March 2008.
Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. It is a national leader in pediatric research.
Since 1990, U.S. News & World Report and its panel of board-certified pediatricians have named Childrens Hospital Los Angeles one of the top pediatric facilities in the nation, and it is ranked among the Top 10 children’s hospitals in the country – and first among the 13 children’s hospitals in California – in the current magazine rankings.
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