American Red Cross Donor Gives The Perfect Last Holiday Gift - The Gift Of Life

PASADENA, CA (12/23/2007)(readMedia)-- On Tuesday, December 25, 2007, 6:30 a.m., long-time blood and platelet donor Robert Louis Sihler will give his final holiday gift in 2007—the gift of life—when he donates his 300th unit of platelets at the American Red Cross Pasadena Donor Center, located at 133 N. Altadena Dr., Suite 103, Pasadena, CA 91107.

“I can’t think of a better holiday gift or a better way to celebrate Christmas than by saving someone’s life,” Bobby says. “Just knowing that my apheresis platelet donation may go to help a man, woman or child who is undergoing cancer treatments or is suffering from some other sort of devastating ailment, makes it easy for me to donate my platelets.”

Bob is a family man and father of two children. He began donating whole blood for the Red Cross in 1976. He became a platelet donor in June of 1996. Currently, Bobby donates platelets every two weeks at the Red Cross Pasadena donor center.

Platelets are small blood components that help the clotting process by sticking to the lining of blood vessels. Platelets are made in the bone marrow and survive in the circulatory system for about nine days before being removed from the body by the spleen. Platelets help prevent blood loss and blood vessel leakage by initiating the first phases of the clotting process.

Apheresis is the process by which platelets and other blood components are collected from a donor. This process is accomplished by using a machine called a cell separator. Traditionally, blood is taken from one arm and platelets suspended in plasma are collected. The remaining components of the blood are returned to the donor in the other arm. Each apheresis donation procedure takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Donors can watch movies or relax during the donation.

“Bobby, as we all call him, is a special donor, not only to the patients who benefit from his regular donations, but to the Red Cross staff in Pasadena,” explains Rebecca Lee, apheresis coordinator for American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern California Region. “When he comes in to donate or to volunteer, he always thanks each of us and shows his appreciation and respect for the staff with kind and encouraging words. We wish we could do more to thank him for the two hours every other week he volunteers to help save a life.”

Any healthy person age 17 or older and weighing at least 110 pounds may be eligible to donate blood. All eligible donors are asked to schedule an appointment to donate blood by calling 1.800.GIVE.LIFE (1.800.448.4353) or by visiting www.GiveLife.org. For Spanish, please call 1.866.POR.VIDA (1.866.767.8432) or visit www.cruzrojasamericana.org.

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