Reservist gives ‘gift of life’ 100 times

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Veronica A. Aceveda
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFPN) --  Seventeen years ago, Senior Master Sgt. Carl Donophan donated blood for the first time. He is now among an elite group of people who have reached the rare milestone of making his 100th apheresis donation.

Apheresis is a type of donation where the donor gives only a certain part of the blood, generally platelets or plasma. After the needed components are removed, the rest of the blood is returned to the donor, usually through the other arm.

Sergeant Donophan, a reservist with the 512th Equipment Maintenance Squadron here, switched from donating whole blood to apheresis about 13 years ago. On July 22, he sat back to donate platelets for the 100th time.

Paige McIlvain, Blood Bank of Delmarva assistant supervisor of donor services, said she is amazed at how humble he is about the whole ordeal.

“He doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but it definitely is. He’s saving or prolonging someone’s life,” she said.

Sergeant Donophan’s donations have helped between 100 and 200 people, said Karen James, a Blood Bank of Delmarva spokesperson.

His wife, Patti, said his donating has been a part of their marriage for years.

“Admittedly in the beginning, I wasn’t too familiar with the difference between the different types of donations he was doing, but it really sank in when I learned he was helping leukemia patients,” Mrs. Donophan said.

People who undergo chemotherapy and radiation as well as organ recipients and burn victims are among the patients who require vast amounts of platelets.

“I donate simply because I can donate,” Sergeant Donophan said. “A lot of people can’t -- they’re veins are too small, they’re health won’t permit or they’re scared of needles.

“I don’t have any of those problems, so, I just do it,” he said. “There’s a great need for platelets, and we can’t make them outside of the human body.”

Compared to the shelf life of whole blood, which is about 42 days, the shelf life of platelets is only five days, so, the demand is high, Ms. McIlvain said.

“With regular donors such as (Sergeant Donophan), we’re able to control our supply,” she said. “He’s like family. At some point or another, (all of our technicians) have hooked him up to the machine.”

Before the Blood Bank of Delmarva began its own apheresis program in Dover eight years ago, Sergeant Donophan, a Dover native, used to drive about an hour each way to a northern Delaware blood bank in order to participate in the specialized program of removing platelets.

While he does not have to go as far for his monthly visit, he said it still takes about three hours to complete the process. His hours at the donation center have included numerous movies -- everything from “The Perfect Storm” to “Jaws 3.”

And he plans on seeing many more.

“I heard there’s somebody out there who’s done 300 donations -- you never know,” Sergeant Donophan said.