Author Archives for Stanford Blood Center

Living with Hereditary Spherocytosis

August 13, 2012 11:46 am Published by Comments Off on Living with Hereditary Spherocytosis



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By Sinead Borgersen, Coordinator for Nimsoft Blood Drives

My two-year-old son Faelan has a hereditary red blood cell fragility disorder called hereditary spherocytosis. He inherited it from me and I inherited from my mother with another of my siblings. His red blood cells are fragile and spherical in shape instead of the normal donut shape due to a defective gene that causes the shell to be misshapen, like a pole missing in a tent. His red blood cells live a shorter life and the spleen becomes enlarged as it attacks the red blood cells, causing them to live a very shortened lifespan of 3-10 days. So he is anemic and fatigues easily.


Unusual Blood Donation Campaigns

August 2, 2012 4:49 pm Published by Comments Off on Unusual Blood Donation Campaigns



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By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center

Voluntary blood donors are needed in countries throughout the world to help maintain a safe and sufficient blood supply. Finding these donors is often a challenge for blood centers. So, many advocates have created unusual awareness campaigns to promote the need. Here are some of the most inventive efforts we've seen.


Granulocyte Infusions Saved Little Katelyn

July 24, 2012 12:08 pm Published by Comments Off on Granulocyte Infusions Saved Little Katelyn



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By Dr. Jennifer Andrews, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology (Transfusion Medicine) and Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology)

When I first met Katelyn Do, she had already been diagnosed by my Pediatric Hematology colleagues with severe aplastic anemia. That means essentially that her bone marrow was no longer producing any blood cells, including white blood cells (in charge of fighting infections), red blood cells (in charge of carrying oxygen to all the organs in the body) and platelets (in charge of stopping any bleeding).


If you were a cell, which one would you be?

July 20, 2012 11:12 am Published by Comments Off on If you were a cell, which one would you be?



By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center

A heroic red blood cell - courageous, selfless, hard-working, picking up billions of oxygen molecules in the alveoli and coursing through the heart and every corner of the body electric feeding hungry tissues…


RBC Antigens – What Are They Good For?

July 13, 2012 10:50 am Published by Comments Off on RBC Antigens – What Are They Good For?



By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center

Red blood cell (RBC) antigens have to be good for something - nature doesn't make useless things for no reason. We have similar ABO antigens to some on bacteria, pollen, grains, etc., and these may be involved in stimulating the production of our natural anti-A and anti-B antigens.


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“Blood Donors Saved My Life”

July 10, 2012 8:42 am Published by Comments Off on “Blood Donors Saved My Life”

On June 6, 2011, Melissa and her husband, Tim, and 3-year-old son, Flynn, welcomed twin boys, Keane and Hayes, into their family. Melissa's pregnancy and delivery had been normal. The twins were healthy and together weighed over 14 pounds which is considered big for twins. After a typical recovery period, Melissa went home to care for her family. "To me, my family was perfect and complete," she said.


The Gift

July 3, 2012 11:06 am Published by Comments Off on The Gift



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A Poem by Gil Gonzales, Stanford Blood Center Donor

The greatest of gifts that costs nothing to give A gift of hope that offers a family a sense of relief Just a little of your time, so that another may live A minor inconvenience that spares others major grief Offering the gift of life from one's own veins


#WhyIGiveBlood: Team G

June 29, 2012 1:49 pm Published by Comments Off on #WhyIGiveBlood: Team G



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On Sunday, July 1st, Stanford Blood Center will be hosting a blood drive for 4-year-old Gabriella Cosner. Gabriella (Gaby) has Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare but treatable cancer. For months now, she has been fighting her cancer with chemotherapy and an incredible support team, Team G.


Center Drives

June 27, 2012 1:02 pm Published by Comments Off on Center Drives



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By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center

Donating blood together with friends or family members can be a rewarding experience of supporting patients in need while also building a sense of community with each other. A few years ago, we introduced our Center drive program to accommodate a growing number of inquiries about small, organized group donations - a great option when there may not be enough people to make a mobile blood drive feasible.


Blood Group Linked to Gastric Bugs

June 20, 2012 11:32 am Published by Comments Off on Blood Group Linked to Gastric Bugs



By Billie Rubin, Hemoglobin's Catabolic Cousin, reporting from the labs of Stanford Blood Center

It seems a rotavirus strain is using the sugar at the end of the type-A molecule as a doorway to the inside of cells. "A sugar molecule linked to type-A blood helps the rotavirus strain invade cells in the gastrointestinal tract," a study has shown. "The virus is the leading cause of severe dehydration and diarrhea in infants, and causes an estimated 500,000 deaths worldwide each year. Specific blood group molecules are already known to promote infection by the stomach bug Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and norovirus."