By Jenny Farley
The luckiest among us have a once in a lifetime friendship. For Dominic Chilberti, that friend was Chris. “Chris was everybody’s best friend. He was loved by everyone,” said Dominic.
They met at four years old and what began as children turned into decades of joy and camaraderie. Kindergarten, eight years of Catholic school, some high school and then as often happens in life, a separation of physical distance when they both moved out of their hometown.
In the 1980s, before smartphones offered Facetime and texting, Dominic and Chris managed to stay in contact the old fashioned way, “over the phone.”
For years, those phone calls ranged from 10 minutes to two hours. The talks cemented a friendship that ushered both men through the triumphs and failures of life, with a lot of laughter.
“Chris didn’t laugh at many of my jokes but when he did he had the best uncontrollable laugh and it would make my day.”
Then came news neither was expecting. Doctors told Chris he had brain cancer. Chris began a fight to live that led to treatment, surgery and a critical need for blood transfusions.
Throughout his illness, Dominic described Chris as the man everyone wanted to help. “Chris was the type of person that had so many friends it was actually hard getting a chance to help him.”
Chris fought hard for nearly three years but died in March of 2022. Mired in grief, Dominic wanted to do something and remembered what Chris had told him.
“Chris and I talked about how I wished I could do more and he mentioned donating blood. They were always telling him they needed blood donors.” So, in memory of his friend, Dominic began to give.
“I remember being so frustrated that all I could do is sit by and watch my friend wither away. After his passing this frustration grew. This gave me some purpose in helping in his memory.”
Dominic didn’t stop after donating once. In 2022, he donated at least 27 units. He started with whole blood and then moved on to platelets. He said he donates “as often as the requirements allow me. I continue to do this in the hopes that anyone in treatment or surgery in need of blood never goes without.”
Some people may be hesitant to give a lifesaving blood donation, but Dominic offered reassurance.
“For most people it is fear of the unknown. It can be intimidating before you actually do it, but once you have you will laugh at yourself for waiting so long. If you can survive a blood test, you can donate blood. It really isn’t that different and it doesn’t take much time.”
Dominic wants to recruit others to donate blood. He also plans to keep donating himself and when he does he will always think of Chris.
“I was very lucky to have had him in my life.”
For more information on how to donate blood and to schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org.
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