On behalf of patients in our community’s hospitals, I wish to extend our thanks. During your blood drive on June 3, Puget Sound Blood Center registered 85 donors and collected 76 units of blood. This will benefit up to 228 patients.

Special thanks to Curt VanHyning for organizing the drive and the San Juan Island Lions Club for blood drive sponsorship and assistance, the volunteers who helped on the day of the drive, and all the donors who took time out of their busy day to donate blood.

Each weekday, 900 people must donate blood to meet the needs of patients in western Washington hospitals. Your blood drive has played an important role in helping meet that goal.

Attached is a link to learn more about some of the many patients who benefit from blood drives like yours: www.psbc.org/video/patient.htm#

The following patients are just a few of the many who have received blood from Puget Sound Blood Center in the past few days. The blood was available for them, thanks to blood drives like yours:

— 28-year-old patient (lung transplant) has been issued 36 units red blood cells, seven units platelets, 20 units plasma and four cryoprecipitate pools.

— 38-year-old patient (multiple trauma) has been issued 19 units red blood cells, one unit platelets, four units plasma and one cryoprecipitate pool.

— 73-year-old patient (complex hip replacement) has been issued 14 units red blood cells.

— 55-year-old patient (liver transplant) has been issued 20 units red blood cells, 22 units plasma, five units platelets and three cryoprecipitate pools.

— 50-year-old patient (motor vehicle crash) has been issued 22 units red blood cells, 10 units plasma, one unit platelet and one cryoprecipitate pool.

— 49-year-old patient (heart transplant) has been issued 27 units red blood cells, 20 units plasma, eight units platelets and two cryoprecipitate pools.

The next blood drive is July 29.

Carol Rondello
Puget Sound Blood Center