This page serves as a resource for updates, information and other content relating to blood donation, the patients they help and the volunteers who help save lives. Our social media platforms are not monitored 24/7, however, our team responds regularly during typical business hours to comments and questions. Those hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. For urgent questions, please
call 877-258-4825. We enjoy the opportunity to engage with our community members and commit to keeping a welcoming platform for those interacting with our mission. We welcome your feedback. The viewpoints, opinions and actions expressed in comments from those on this page or linked assets are those of the individual themselves and may not reflect Vitalant’s position or policies and we do not confirm the accuracy of any posting. Content posted on this page should not be considered medical advice. Always verify information with a qualified medical professional before taking any action. Vitalant is not responsible for comments or wall postings made by visitors to this page, and reserves the right to delete postings that we believe are inappropriate or offensive or otherwise violates Vitalant’s Terms of Use (https://www.vitalant.org/Terms-of-Use.aspx), Facebook Community Standards (facebook.com/communitystandards) or:
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Additionally, Vitalant reserves the right to ban or block postings from accounts responsible for repeat or egregious offenses of this policy. Reminder: Facebook encourages all users to utilize the “Report” feature when they find content that violates their community standards.
04/07/2026
50 years of lifesaving impact ❤️
Debra Shook is celebrating her 50th anniversary with Vitalant, the longest tenure in our organization’s history. From phlebotomist to donor care process specialist, her career reflects a lifelong commitment to helping others.
“I’ve always had a passion for making a difference in the lives of others.”
Thank you, Debra, for five decades of dedication, innovation, and care. Your legacy lives on in every patient you’ve helped.
Look who’s spending the first week of April at the Villa Park Donor Center… Mike! 💜
He’s now at 620 donations.
When we first introduced you to Mike, he was celebrating 600 donations and he hasn’t slowed down since.
At 75 years old, Mike continues to quietly do something extraordinary — saving lives, one donation at a time.
“I just think it’s the right thing to do,” Mike says. “If people don’t donate blood and platelets, people will die. You can’t make blood. You can’t get it anywhere else.”
His journey started back in the 1970s. Along the way, it became deeply personal when his wife needed transfusions during her battle with leukemia. Today, she’s seven years cancer-free and Mike’s commitment is stronger than ever.
Even after hundreds of donations (and switching arms because of it!), his dedication never wavers.
đź’ś 620 donations. Countless lives impacted.
And he’s still going.
04/05/2026
At just 3 years old, Parker was diagnosed with Stage IV nephroblastoma, a rare kidney cancer.
He underwent surgery, radiation and 10 months of chemotherapy. Throughout his treatment, he relied on multiple blood and platelet transfusions to keep fighting.
Today, Parker is in remission and getting ready to start kindergarten. His family is now sharing his story to highlight the lifesaving impact of blood donation.
This April, during National Volunteer Month, you can help patients like Parker. Schedule your donation today ❤️
04/04/2026
200 donations. Decades of impact. One incredible donor. 🎉
Gerald has been giving platelets since the 1980s, showing up again and again for patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions.
Blood can’t be manufactured, and volunteer donors like Gerald make it possible to maintain a safe and steady supply for those who need it most.
One donation can help save multiple lives, and it takes about one hour to give. A small window of time can make a lasting difference for patients in need.
Most people are eligible to donate, but only 3% do. Be part of something bigger.
Make your appointment at vitalant.org
03/31/2026
A few simple steps can make a real difference.
Donate April 3–5 and use code SPRING20-2026-V to receive a $20 gift card through the donor rewards program (opt-in required). You’ll also be entered for a chance to win $10,000. Get started: vitalant.org/SpringDonorGift
03/30/2026
April is National Donate Life Month, a time to recognize the power of donation.
Sarah is a mom who spent four years waiting for a liver transplant. Along the way, blood transfusions became part of her care. Red blood cells, platelets, and plasma from volunteer donors supported her through treatment leading up to transplant.
On the day of her surgery, blood donation was essential. She received multiple units during the procedure, alongside the gift of a liver from an organ donor.
Today, Sarah is here because people chose to give.
She now advocates for blood donation and shares her story to highlight how blood and organ donation work together to support patients at every stage of care.
This Donate Life Month, recognize the impact of both.
Platelets are critical for cancer patients, trauma patients, and those undergoing major surgeries. Because they have a short shelf life, consistent donors like Ross make an incredible impact.
Thank you, Ross, for giving your time and helping save lives.
03/26/2026
Meet Pranav, a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University who began donating blood in high school and continues to give back in college ❤️
When asked why he donates, Pranav shared that he gives because he is healthy and able, and wants to support others. It’s a simple choice that makes a meaningful impact.
Most people in the U.S. are eligible to donate, yet only about 3% do. You can help change that.
He didn’t just fight cancer. He depended on strangers to help him survive it.
When Aaron started feeling constant fatigue and heart palpitations, cancer wasn’t the first thought. But the diagnosis was Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and treatment moved fast. Chemotherapy. Multiple platelet transfusions. A temporary remission. Then the cancer returned, and everything came down to a stem cell transplant that ultimately saved his life. Behind every step were donors he will never meet, showing up at exactly the right time.
Today, Aaron is back in the classroom as a full time high school teacher, and he’s not just moving forward, he’s paying it back. As a blood drive coordinator at his school, he’s helping ensure other patients have the same chance he did. That kind of impact starts with someone deciding to donate.
Be the reason someone gets another shot. Donate today at vitalant.org
For more than 25 years, Mary has shown up for patients in need, giving blood again and again because helping others is simply part of who she is. Her commitment has helped ensure lifesaving blood is on hospital shelves when it matters most.
Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion.
Honor Mary’s impact by making your own. Schedule your appointment at https://brnw.ch/21x10Ty ❤️
Through campus tabling and peer-to-peer outreach, they’re stepping up to promote blood drives and inspire classmates to sign up and give back. This is student leadership in action.
Want to make an impact in your community? Host a blood drive with Vitalant and help ensure blood is available for patients who need it. Learn more at vitalant.org
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Vitalant—one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit community blood service providers—supplies comprehensive transfusion medicine services for nearly 1,000 hospitals and health care partners for patients in need across 40 states. Vitalant inspires local communities to serve the needs of others and transform lives through the selfless act of donating blood. It operates a world-renowned transfusion medicine research institute, owns a biological products distribution service and co-owns a high-volume donor testing laboratory joint venture. Vitalant exists to help people realize their life-transforming potential by offering convenient blood donation opportunities and sharing our expertise in transfusion medicine. Founded in 1943, Vitalant is one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit transfusion medicine organizations. We comprise a network of nearly a dozen community blood centers, each with its own rich history and legacy. Vitalant is an internationally known and respected leader that continues to push the boundaries to advance the experience, practice and application of transfusion medicine.With our national footprint, deep community roots and specialized services, we are the thread that connects people and resources together to fuel progress in transfusion medicine. Our shared mission to save and improve the lives of others is our greatest strength. Read more about our collective impact.We are deeply committed to making a transformative difference in people’s lives by:
Bringing together top experts in our field
Inspiring people to give blood
Producing a safe and ready blood supply
Offering specialized patient services and pharmaceuticals
Advancing cutting-edge research, and
Embracing continuous quality improvement and operational excellence.
Vitalant provides blood and special services to patients in more than 1,000 hospitals across 40 states. Millions of people in communities throughout these states depend on generous volunteer blood donors and our dedicated team to make sure lifesaving blood is available when and where it is needed. Learn more about special donation opportunities, news and activities in your community and beyond. World-renowned, Vitalant Research Institute is engaged in scientific studies ranging from blood donor epidemiology to cellular therapy to virus discovery. Vitalant is a partner in the operation of Creative Testing Solutions, the largest independent blood donor testing organization in the U.S. Several high volume laboratories spanning the country test 75 percent of the nation’s blood supply. Our BioCare for-profit subsidiary has wide-reaching distribution capabilities to quickly and efficiently deliver therapeutic biologicals such as albumin, coagulation factors and Rh immune globulin to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. CanyonCARE Rx, part of BioCare, is a full service pharmacy specializing in medications for hemophilia, von Willebrand disease and other bleeding disorders. And, our organization is self-insured with our wholly-owned subsidiary Canyon State Insurance. Vitalant is a founding member of AABB (a professional organization that provides standards development and accreditation for blood centers) and was a driving force in the creation of America's Blood Centers (a consortium of independent community blood centers throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Vitalant). Both organizations play a major role in communicating advances in transfusion medicine nationwide.
