New donors who do not give blood frequently often do so at SunCoast Blood Bank in response to major incidents that are heavily publicized, such as the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Orlando, or devastating natural disasters such as a hurricane. “After 911, there was a line out the door. It was great how many people responded and wanted to help,” says Scott Bush, CEO of SunCoast Blood Bank. “But we shouldn’t have to have mass tragedies to feel inspired to donate. There are elderly, injured and sick people in the hospital every day that need transfusions.” Cancers, blood disorders, rare diseases, aneurysm or sustaining someone through surgery after a car accident so they don’t perish on the table, are all instances where blood transfusions save lives. “It seems everyone is impacted by cancer in some way, be it a family member, friend or co-worker,” Bush says, noting over half of SunCoast’s platelet donations are needed by patients undergoing chemotherapy. “Chemo just wipes you out. It kills the cancer cells, but it also damages the healthy cells,” says Bush. “So, we need to replace those blood products so patients can function and survive. This aspect of the need for blood is not publicized like mass tragedies, but it’s the everyday reality. Cancer strikes everyone from infants to grandparents and many would not survive without blood products. Quite simply, there is no substitute for human blood when needed for treatment.” 

Read more from the SunCoast Blood Bank BrandStory here.