By Sadiyyah Young
Sept. 28th is recognized as National Good Neighbor Day, which is a great time to celebrate and thank American Red Cross blood and platelet donors for being GREAT neighbors to their fellow residents. Local dedicated blood and platelet donor T’Sean Law is a shining example. He has been donating blood for almost 18 years and platelets for almost 4.
T’Sean gained an interest in donating blood as a teen in high school. It was a fun and interactive experience for him and his friends at that time, so he thought nothing much about donating a few pints, which turned into a few liters. But as time passed, T’Sean became more aware of how important those donations are for people who rely on them. After discovering that his family had a history of suffering from lung and prostate cancer, T’Sean knew that giving blood and platelets would aid in the recovery of many cancer patients beyond his family and close friends. As a result, he grew to love the process of donating blood and platelets even more.
You can find T’Sean donating platelets about one or twice a month at the American Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Horsham, where he has formed a lasting relationship with the staff and volunteers. Every time he visits to donate, T’Sean is welcomed in a warm, fun loving, joke-filled, relaxed environment by people that know him by name. He enjoys the great snacks after the process is over and likes meeting a lot of new and interesting people.
T’Sean says it feels good to discuss his donation stories with his longtime friend and co-worker from Delaware who gives blood as well. They both developed a friendly competition over who gets the best snacks at their blood donation locations and who has the most fun while donating blood and platelets. This friendly banter has kept them connected with each other over the years.
Fun fact — T’Sean continued to donate blood and platelets even while he was training for the Philadelphia and Chicago marathons last year! He is an active member of the Swagger House Run Club and Black Men Run Philly groups, through which he focuses on assisting men in their 20s and up to stay out of trouble while maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle. T’Sean helps these young men and others educate themselves on physical and mental health awareness, various forms of cancer and illness affecting men and the importance of getting tested. Of course, he also discusses the importance of blood and platelet donation and volunteering for the Red Cross.
Red Cross Blood Shortage
The American Red Cross is experiencing a national blood shortage. Fewer donors than needed gave blood this summer, drawing down the national blood supply and reducing distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals. Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, and there’s an emergency need for type O blood donors, as well as platelet donors. More donors are needed now to ensure patients at hospitals across the country continue to receive critical medical care. Schedule an appointment to give by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
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