Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 A Happy and Fulfilling Life ... and a Chronic Illness by Tom Rademacher, Veteran Grand Rapids Press columnist and long-time Michigan Blood donor The majority of us enjoy many years of life – full decades, in some instances – before we encounter a major roadblock or setback. For Tanjanika Taylor of Saginaw, though, the world turned potentially ominous when we was just two months old. Fifty blood transfusions and a diagnosis of ... Why Diversify The Blood Supply? Blood is blood … isn’t it? The answer may surprise you. We all know there are eight different blood types, but did you know that every unit of blood is unique? You see, blood carries many different markers, called antigens, and these antigens make all the difference. Add Saturday, September 21, 2013 to your calendar! Read on to find out why. “Love Michigan” this Fourth of July We’re making it easy for you to “Say Yes to Michigan” this Fourth of July when you say yes to helping patients in Michigan hospitals who need blood. Our popular Love Michigan blood drive is back and runs July 1-3 and 5 in designated centers throughout the state. Every person who attempts to donate will receive a Say Yes to Michigan t-shirt designed by The Mitten State, plus a reusable Meijer tote bag filled with Michigan-made products. 4 Easy Ways to Help Save Lives While Playing Golf Golf offers many health benefits, from breathing fresh summer air to walking the 18 holes. But at Thousand Oaks Golf Club on August 26, you can help save the lives of people not even on the golf course. Celebrating 92 Million Heroes Around the World Did you know there is a worldwide day of celebration to recognize people just like you? This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event and centers around the campaign, “Give the gift of life: donate blood,” to recognize the value donated blood has to patients. Go Blue ... Go Blood Michigan Blood will host its first blood drives in Ann Arbor this summer, partnering with Blood Drives United, a University of Michigan student-run organization! The July 8 and August 1 drives are open to the community, so help spread the word! Mission Moments In the News We work hard to keep Michigan Blood’s lifesaving mission in the spotlight and were featured in several recent news stories throughout the state. Here’s a snap shot: June 2013 Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. A Happy and Fulfilling Life ... and a Chronic Illness by Tom Rademacher, Veteran Grand Rapids Press columnist and long-time Michigan Blood donor The majority of us enjoy many years of life – full decades, in some instances – before we encounter a major roadblock or setback. For Tanjanika Taylor of Saginaw, though, the world turned potentially ominous when she was just two months old. That’s when Tanjanika was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder that can cause an array of problems from bacterial bone infections, heart-related ailments, renal failure, visual problems and more. But as graciously as Tanjanika lists the hurdles she’s overcome – stroke, shortness of breath, dehydration, extreme pain, congenital heart failure and hypertension – she’s just as quick to say this: “Being diagnosed with a disease does not mean that’s the end of your life. You can lead a very happy and fulfilling and whole life, even while having a chronic illness.” Those are sage words from a young woman of just 27. But then again, you have to realize that she’s packed a lot of life – challenges included – into those 27 years. That would include 50 blood transfusions, all necessary because from time to time, Tanjanika’s red blood cells are unable to help produce enough oxygen necessary for normal body functions. “The blood transfusions,” she explains, “help to get oxygen to my vital organs, so I can recover.” One of the most critical times in Tanjanika’s life occurred a decade ago as a high school student at Arthur Hill High School. During her senior year, she was hospitalized for a massive infection, and while being treated in the intensive care unit, suffered a stroke on top of her existing medical challenges. But again, in true Tanjanika style, she doesn’t dwell on the negatives associated with that trying episode in her life. Instead, she accentuates the positives. And perhaps that’s why Tanjanika Taylor, who for the time being is an online student at Delta College, likely will emerge one day as a dynamic professional speaker. She’s already registered herself with the State of Michigan as a limited liability company, eager to establish herself as a formidable force on the speaking circuit. She calls her fledgling business “Make It Make Sense,” so ordained because, in Tanjanika’s words, “we need to make sense out of the health care system, and that means addressing one’s emotional state, which is an important part of healing.” She goes on to say that “If you are depressed, it is that much harder to get well. But if you bring yourself up and say, �I’m dealing with these challenges and they’re not going to stop my life,’ then you are that much closer to being physically well.” Tanjanika draws her power in part from her parents – Joyce Redfearn and James Taylor – who both have worked as ministers, and teamed together to raise Tanjanika and her eight younger siblings. “They taught me to have faith,” she says. “So I do have my belief in God to rest on. I don’t know if I could live the life that I live if I did not believe that there was something bigger than myself out there. “I don’t believe that things happen by luck or chance, and so I take every day one day at a time.” Tanjanika is an apt person to represent Michigan Blood – not only because of her positive attitude – but because she’s an advocate for a campaign gaining ground that’s called “Diversify the Blood Supply.” Earlier this year, she served as a keynote speaker at a consortium of more than two dozen community leaders representing Great Lakes Bay regional businesses, the health care industry, community service providers, faith-based organizations, educational institutions and local media, all of whom converged at Saginaw Valley State University. Tanjanika joined other voices in calling for more African-Americans to donate blood, and to also step up to serve as ambassadors, mentors and event planners. Tanjanika doesn’t have to dig deep for data that draws attention to those like her, who suffer from sickle cell disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control, sickle cell affects 90,000 to 100,000 Americans. The disease occurs in about 1 in every 500 AfricanAmerican births. And about 1 in 12 (8 percent) of African-Americans carry the sickle cell trait. While other speakers at the diversity event focused on strategies and processes, Tanjanika brought something unique to the podium: The face of a real person who has struggled, and who is at the mercy of all peoples to help provide a strong supply of blood – for herself, and for others. continued on next page Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 A Happy and Fulfilling Life ... and a Chronic Illness continued from previous page “I want people to understand the importance of diversifying the blood supply,” says Tanjanika. “Nobody can sustain themselves. We all need help at one time or another, even if we don’t realize it. We don’t do anything on our own.” “Someone had to birth you,” she continues. “Someone had to teach you. Someone had to nurture you. And someone had to help you with gaining knowledge, or in a financial way.” The same is true, says Tanjanika, when it comes to blood. “We can’t manufacture and hoard what we need for ourselves. Instead, we rely on a larger community of people from all walks of life to chip in and donate.” Tanjanika points out that providing blood “is vital to the community. And it’s vital in more ways than just one. “It’s not just life-sustaining for the recipient, but it also gives the donor a sense of purpose in their lives. “People always think, �That’s for someone I don’t know.’ But you don’t ever know if someone you love – someone from your own family – is going to need that blood. Accidents and emergencies happen all the time.” Tanjanika looks with fondness upon Michigan Blood and like organizations, noting how “Without that key component, I’d never be able to receive blood transfusions. I wouldn’t be able to live my life. I would be dead.” Some people have valid excuses for not being able to donate blood. But too many, says Tanjanika, fail to recognize it as a gift, a transformational one that many healthy people just don’t consider often enough, if at all. “With the economy being what it is,” Tanjanika emphasizes, “people aren’t always able to give financially. But by donating blood, you’re giving something greater than money. “You are essentially saving a life.” Hear Tanjanika tell her story Video – short version Video – long version Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 Why Diversify The Blood Supply? Blood is blood … isn’t it? The answer may surprise you. We all know there are eight different blood types, but did you know that every unit of blood is unique? You see, blood carries many different markers, called antigens, and these antigens make all the difference. Often the best match for chronically ill patients in need of regular blood transfusions will come from a donor of the same ethnic background as the patient. For example, African-American blood donors have blood traits that can help other African-Americans with certain life-threatening illnesses like sickle cell anemia. Yet less than two percent of African-Americans donate blood. That’s why diversifying the blood supply is a top priority for Michigan Blood. While blood donations from all ethnic groups is critical, Michigan Blood is raising awareness about the need for African-American donors. As the blood products provider to more than 40 hospitals in our state, Michigan Blood is committed to raising awareness about this need to ensure the best care for patients in need of life-saving blood transfusions. HELP SPREAD THE WORD! In our quest to raise awareness, Michigan Blood is hosting a community blood/marrow drive and health expo on September 21 in Saginaw. For every person who attempts to donate, Michigan Blood will donate $10 to the Saginaw County Sickle Cell Support Group. Tell your friends and family, or even donate yourself! Saturday, September 21 • 10 am – 4 pm Willie E. Thompson Middle School, 30211 Court Street, Saginaw MI 48602 WANT MORE INFORMATION? Diversity Matters Flyer Diversify the Blood Supply FAQ Tanjanika video, short version Tanjanika video, long version June 2013 Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. “Love Michigan” this Fourth of July We’re making it easy for you to “Say Yes to Michigan” this Fourth of July when you say yes to helping patients in Michigan hospitals who need blood. Our popular Love Michigan blood drive is back and runs July 1-3 and 5 in designated centers throughout the state (see schedule below). Every person who attempts to donate will receive a Say Yes to Michigan t-shirt designed by The Mitten State, plus a reusable Meijer tote bag filled with Michigan-made products (see below). “Michigan Blood is hosting Love Michigan because we face special challenges during the summer,” explains Jim Childress, VP of Community Relations at Michigan Blood. “Our awesome student blood donors contribute 22% of our blood – but most are out of school during the summer. And families are busy with summer activities and vacations. That’s why Michigan Blood is working even harder to be sure the blood is there for patients in Michigan hospitals who need it.” We know people donate blood out of the goodness of their heart. And Love Michigan is our way of saying thank you. Hours at our Donor Centers have expanded for Love Michigan, and appointments are encouraged. Call 866-MIBLOOD (642-5663) to set a convenient appointment today! And then be sure to take a cool picture of yourself in your new Love Michigan t-shirt – or one from previous years – and post it on our Facebook page before Labor Day for a chance to win another free t-shirt from The Mitten State. Like us on Facebook for full details. GRAND RAPIDS DONOR CENTER 1036 Fuller NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503 Monday July 1 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday July 2 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday July 3 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. July 5 TRAVERSE CITY DONOR CENTER 2575 Aero Park Drive, Traverse City MI 49686 Monday July 1 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tuesday July 2 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday July 3 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. July 5 ST. JOSEPH DONOR CENTER 2710 Cleveland Avenue, St. Joseph MI 49085 Monday July 1 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday July 2 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. SAGINAW DONOR CENTER (At Saginaw Valley Church of the Nazarene – just down the street from our main donor center) Saginaw Valley Church of the Nazarene 1815 Tittabawassee Road, Saginaw MI 48604 Monday July 1 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday July 2 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday July 3 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. DOW DIAMOND DONOR CENTER 825 East Main Street, Midland MI 48640 Monday July 1 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tuesday July 2 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Wednesday July 3 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Wednesday July 3 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. July 5 July 5 BAY CITY DONOR CENTER 1017 North Johnson Street, Bay City MI 48708 Monday KALAMAZOO AREA DONOR CENTER 524 East Milham Avenue, Portage MI 49002 July 5 July 1 Wednesday July 3 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Noon – 7:00 p.m. MIDLAND DONOR CENTER at Midmichigan Medical Center 4005 Orchard Drive, Midland MI 48670 Tuesday July 2 Noon – 7:00 p.m. Friday July 5 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 4 Easy Ways to Help Save Lives While Playing Golf Golf offers many health benefits, from breathing fresh summer air to walking the 18 holes. But at Thousand Oaks Golf Club on August 26, you can help save the lives of people not even on the golf course. Fore for Life is a charity golf tournament hosted by Michigan Blood and benefiting the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be the Match® Registry, which is affiliated with Michigan Blood. Each year, 12,000 patients turn to the Be The Match® Registry in hopes of finding a suitable donor match for a lifesaving marrow transplant. Thousands are diagnosed each year with leukemia, lymphoma, or one of 70 other life-threatening diseases for which a bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be the best hope for a cure. Michigan Blood is dedicated to recruiting 2,500 new Registry members in 2014 and to raising the funds to cover the $100 cost of the tissue-type testing necessary to match donors with patients. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP Registration/Sponsorship Form 1. Register for the Fore for Life Charity Golf Tournament • Golf includes lunch, dinner/auction, snacks, and beverages • Registration form Deadline: August 19, 2013 • Golf Foursome ($500) – Complimentary food/beverages throughout the day – Gift bags and gift – 4 Mulligans • Individual Golfer ($130) – Complimentary food/beverages throughout the day – 1 Mulligan 2. Register for the Dinner and Silent Auction (included with golf registration) If you can’t golf with us, join us for the dinner and auction right after the tournament, $35 per person without golf 3. Sponsor the Tournament Sponsorships are key to making this fundraiser a success. Please consider being a Gold Sponsor, Silver Sponsor, or Bronze Sponsor. You can even sponsor a hole, snacks, or a sign. See all the opportunities on the Registration/Sponsorship Form. 4. Donate to the Auction The auction is another important part of this fundraising event. Consider donating an item or experience, or make a monetary donation toward the purchase of an auction item. For details or information about any part of the Fore for Life Charity Golf Tournament and Auction, please contact Kona Dominick at [email protected], or call 616-233-8516 or 1-866-MIBLOOD (642-5663) toll-free in Michigan. You can also visit us online at www. miblood.org/fore-for-life-2013. ADDRESS AND SCHEDULE Thousand Oaks Golf Club 4100 Thousand Oaks Drive NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 11:00 am – Registration & Lunch 12:30 pm – Shotgun Start (4-person, 18-hole scramble) 5:00 pm – Cash Bar & Silent Auction Open 5:30 pm – Dinner, Raffle, and Awards Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 Celebrating 92 Million Heroes Around the World Did you know there is a worldwide day of celebration to recognize people just like you? World Blood Donor Day, celebrated every year on June 14, thanks voluntary, unpaid blood donors, like you, for their commitment to saving lives and raises awareness about the need for blood around the world. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event and centers around the campaign, “Give the gift of life: donate blood,” to recognize the value donated blood has to patients. The first official World Blood Donor Day took place in 2004 and was hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa. Each year, a country that has made major achievements in blood donation hosts the global event. This year’s celebration took place in Paris, France. June 14 was chosen for the celebration to recognize the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian scientist who received a Nobel Prize for his discovery of ABO blood groups. Around the World This year, events were held from the Ukraine to India to Malaysia to the United States. And, of course, there were celebrations in the host country, France. Events took place all over India, from special blood drives, to workshops, seminars and street plays. In Sri Lanka, 100 milestone donors were personally thanked by the president. Nigeria hosted a full week of events starting with services at prominent mosques and churches, sporting activities, and a cultural celebration with dances, drama, choreography, and donor awards. Here in Michigan The generosity of blood donors is extraordinary! And blood donors are of vital importance to Michigan Blood and to our community. Over the past five years, on World Blood Donor Day we welcomed 1,628 donors to Michigan Blood centers across the state, and we collected 1,247 units of whole blood. This year, along with thanking everyone who makes the heroic commitment to save lives, we are recognizing Michigan Blood’s Top Ten Donors* statewide with exhibits in each of our donor centers and a special web page where they tell us why they started giving blood. And in July we will expand the KUDOS section on www.miblood.org to recognize and thank donors who received a gallon+ pin since January 2013. This list will be updated every six months. Michigan Blood’s Top 10 Donors* 38 Gallons William Sebold, Frankenmuth 37 Gallons Kenneth Appleton, Flint Dick Benjamin, Holland Jack Nelson, Big Rapids 35 Gallons Thomas Muller, Coopersville 34 Gallons Melvin Wood, Rockford 32 Gallons Mark Mortensen, Kent City Robert Fowler, Saginaw Elmer Scholten, Jenison Jerald Vincent, Hemlock *Statewide numbers as of March 2013. The list does not include a very special group of donors who give platelets, plasma, or double red cells exclusively through a process called apheresis. We will be honoring this dedicated group as part of our fall education campaign, so stay tuned for more details! Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 Go Blue ... Go Blood Michigan Blood will host its first blood drives in Ann Arbor this summer, partnering with Blood Drives United, a University of Michigan student-run organization! The July 8 and August 1 drives are open to the community, so help spread the word! Monday, July 8 Noon – 6 pm Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room Thursday, August 1 Noon – 6 pm Michigan Union, Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor For more information about the July 8 drive, click here. To make an appointment for the July 8 drive, click here. Sharing stories, fun facts, and an insider’s look @ Michigan Blood. June 2013 Mission Moments In the News We work hard to keep Michigan Blood’s lifesaving mission in the spotlight and were featured in several recent news stories throughout the state. Here’s a snap shot: Every wonder why O-negative blood is so special? Health Correspondent Val Lego tells the story in this WZZM-TV 13 report. Mother’s Day was a perfect time to get the word out about the benefits of donating cord blood after child birth. WWMT-TV 3 in Kalamazoo told the special story here. Dr. Lee Ann Weitekamp, Michigan Blood’s Vice President of Quality and Medical Services, wrote a letter to the editor of several newspapers across the state, including the Kalamazoo Gazette, and the May edition of Women’s Lifestyle Magazine included an article titled “A Mother’s Day Gift: The Gift of Life in a Few Simple Steps.” Grand Valley State University students won an award with their participation in the annual Colleges Care Challenge. Learn the two categories where they finished first here. Students at Rockford High School produced this cool video to help other students host successful blood drives. Great job! Dan Eagles has been donating blood for 60 years, and recently helped a student give blood for the first time. Read about the Greenville man here, and about the changes he’s seen in six decades of giving blood.
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