Committed, regular blood donors are the backbone of every community blood program. Virginia Blood Services asks you to join Friends 4 Life or Platelet All-Stars and take pride in helping maintain a reliable blood supply year round. These are the stories of some of our donors.

Tom Arrington

Celebrating health by saving lives

“I may never be able to endow a hospital wing, but giving blood is something I can afford … it’s a way I can make a difference. And I’m committed to encouraging others to donate, too.”

Those aren’t empty words for Tom Arrington. As a Platelet All-Star, he has made a commitment to Virginia Blood Services to donate platelets at least six times a year. “My own annual goal is to give blood 18 times,” he says.

That’s quite a commitment and an accomplishment for a man who only recently began giving blood. That first time was simply to set a good example for his daughter.

“It was in September 2004 and I was going through a difficult period,” Tom admits, “and all I wanted was for my daughter to see me doing something good. Then there it was … a blood drive at a fire station. I made my donation, and it felt good to know I had helped someone.”

After his third or fourth whole blood donation, a blood collection specialist at the Arboretum donor center suggested that he become a platelet donor. That, of course, increased the level of his commitment, since the donation process is a bit longer than it is for whole blood and also increased the number of times he would be eligible. But that, too, was a good thing.

As a busy general contractor and an active participant in sports, from long distance running to taking flying lessons, coaching for a football association and even stock car racing, not surprisingly, Tom sometimes feels the need to slow down.

“Donating blood became a time of reflection for me to evaluate what was going on in my life and planning what my next steps should be,” Tom confesses. “I definitely get something back.”

VBS gets more than just Tom’s blood every few weeks, too. Tom has made an all out commitment to promoting blood donation among his friends, co-workers and acquaintances.

In October 2006, Tom ran in his first full marathon, the Washington DC Marine Corps Marathong, in October 2006. Although, he has run in half marathons before, this will be Tom’s first full marathon. He made this a “Run for Life,” reinforcing his commitment to training and fitness, as well as his commitment to saving lives by giving blood.

Tom sent a letter to his friends announcing his plan to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon, and encouraging them to support him by making an appointment to give blood. He explains, “I want to advance my interest in running beyond my own satisfaction to involve some benefit for others.”

As he states in his letter, “Those you benefit by donating blood, are not theoretical and faceless beneficiaries; they are the deserving and appreciative among us who have serious medical conditions, or who have suffered from serious accidents.”

While most of us never think of blood donation as an “extreme sport,” Tom Arrington has taken that one donation in 2004 from an example for his daughter to a passionate pursuit to save lives and an example for all of us. VBS, and the patients we serve, are extremely grateful. Thank you, Tom.

Carter Slaughter

Overcoming a Challenge to Save a Life

Blood donors are special people. Giving blood is a commitment of time and good health. So when circumstances arise that make it more difficult to keep that commitment, it takes a very special person to make the commitment work … or even just make some slight modifications. And for Carter Slaughter, the modifications she made were beneficial to many - and to one in particular.

Carter is a woman of social conscience who began donating blood in 1997. She and her husband, Brian, both made regular whole blood donations. They even talked about the importance of donating blood with their two children, occasionally bringing them to the donor center.

But, as so often happens for busy women these days, Carter began to become anemic, temporarily deferring her from donating. Because she wanted to do something to continue to help, she signed up to be on the bone marrow transplant list. During that process she learned about something she could do that was special, personal, would save a life and could help her beat her anemia.

Carter learned about being a regular platelet donor. She could donate platelets and get her red cells back, which would help her anemia. And she would have an opportunity to give the gift of life to an 11-year-old girl for whom she is a tissue match, who will require platelets every week for the rest of her life.

“I think this was especially meaningful to me,” Carter explained, “because my daughter is the same age as the patient who receives my platelets.”

Faithfully keeping her appointments each month, Carter is happy to commit to the 60 to 90 minutes necessary for platelet donation. In addition to knowing she is helping a specific patient, Carter has also been surprised at the number of people she knows who have needed to receive platelets due to cancer and chemotherapy.

“This is a need I didn’t know existed,” Carter says. “And giving blood to save a life is what it’s all about.”

James (Doug) Butler

Why I give blood

When I was 18 I gave blood for the first time at the small religious college I was attending. I still vividly picture lying on the stretcher in the chapel watching my own blood going into a bag, and knowing that in a short time it was going to be put into another person who was desperately ill. I was helping to save someone's life. I was in awe of what was happening.

I've never lost that feeling, even after a couple hundred donations. Whenever I think about that moment I get choked up a little with that same feeling - "I'm helping to save someone's life." Over the past 37 years I've donated at work drives, at churches, apheresis centers, and even donated one time on vacation just for fun. I used to run a lot and my weirdest donation occurred while I was out for a long run. I ran by a VFW Post where they were having a blood drive. I stopped running, went into the drive, dried off, gave my blood, ate two of their Dunkin' Donuts, and then ran the four or five miles home - and made it without fainting. I was much younger then.

Why would someone let a stranger stick a big needle in their arm and drain out a bunch of blood? Every time you give blood, think about your husband, wife, child, father or mother, someone else you love - or yourself - and realize that someone just like them is getting desperately-needed blood that some stranger donated. The next time it might be you or your family member who needs the blood, and someone else will be donating for you. It is truly a circle of life that makes each of us related to one another.

There are many, many ways to show God's love to others, but donating blood is so personal, so intimate, and so real that it is one of the things I look forward to every chance I get. I refer to donating blood as "my favorite hobby." Being a Friend 4 Life is an exciting group to be in, and I look forward to my F4L T-shirt each year. I'm retiring soon and doing some dramatic downsizing. Even though I'm getting rid of about half of my clothing, every single one of my blood donation T-shirts is going with me. I don't have anything else that I wear with more pride, joy or satisfaction.

I am so privileged to work at the McGuire VA Medical Center, where we sponsor five drives a year and encourage employees to take a few minutes to give blood every time. I hope that each person reading this will give it a try. There's only a tiny little bit of pain involved - but just think about the life you're saving!