The man who gave 100 gallons of blood, Harold Mendenhall, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., started donating blood when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. He says he continued giving blood to help him cope with her death.
Mendenhall explained, "For some reason, I'm still here and I'm grateful. That's one of the reasons I keep donating."
The man reached the 100 gallon milestone last month. Mendenhall has type O positive blood. He says he started giving blood when he learned that his wife, Frankie, was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 7, 1977. When his wife succumbed to the disease seven years later, he found that donating blood helped him deal with the loss. Mendenhall said he continued to donate blood to help him heal the emotional loss of losing two of his five children.
Mendenhall said he felt lost after the deaths and began donating up to 40 pints of blood a year. He told reporters he would stop by the One Blood blood bank in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., every two weeks on his way home from work. Mendenhall usually gave platelets rather than whole blood. Platelets are small cells in the blood that help with clotting. Platelets are especially treasured by health care professionals. The process for platelet donors takes between 90 minutes and two hours. Platelet donors give two pints per donation instead of one and can give every two weeks instead of eight weeks.
Mendenhall said his blood center visits also help him monitor his health. He said, "It's like getting a check-up every two weeks.” When he gives blood, his blood is submitted for 13 tests for conditions like West Nile virus. Staff members also check his blood pressure and other vital signs.
Mendenhall said, "Giving blood can only be done by a human being, so that’s been my payback for my career and my good health and all the blessings I’ve had.”
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