SAN DIEGO — In 2023, more than 50,000 people made donations to the San Diego Blood Bank, which includes platelets, red blood cells, and plasma.
“One in seven people that enter the hospital need a blood transfusion and one blood donation, just one hour of your time could save up to three people,” San Diego Blood Bank Director of Community Relations and Media Claudine Van Gonka said.
Lori Dunkley is someone who benefited from blood transfusions. She went to the doctors after noticing a change in the color of her skin, they diagnosed her with small bowel cancer.
“It really was kind of a shocker, she had been struggling with Crohn's disease for several years and unfortunately for people with Crohn's, cancer is a possibility,” Lori’s Husband David Dunkley said.
Doctors told the Dunkleys that Lori had anywhere from five weeks to five months to live. During her treatment, she received 14 blood transfusions.
“Those 14 units really kept her active and on her feet, that's something that when you hear about blood donations it's all about ‘saving lives’ but there's a component to it that doesn't involve saving lives …it's giving us more time,” David said.
Lori died in 2012, but with the help of blood donations, it gave her family the gift of time.
“Sometimes you know they're going to pass but if they get a blood transfusion and they can last that much longer, that gives their loved ones so much and that gives that person so much,” Van Gonka said.
The blood transfusions Lori received in those five months boosted her energy to let her do everything she wanted to do. When David asked Lori how she wanted to spend those days, she chose time with her loved ones over everything else.
“What she stated was no, all I want to do is be at home and be a mom and just be with my kids,” David said.
Lori is one of many people who have benefited from generous blood donations. It’s the memories and time she spent with her family that mattered to her.
“14 people helped my family have extra time and extra availability, extra energy to do things important to us in those last months we had with her,” David said.
January is National Blood Donor Month, for more information on how to donate and locations near you, visit sandiegobloodbank.org
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