Josa Hanzlik: The Impact of Double Red Cell Donation
Josa Hanzlik, Director Material Compliance and Product Sustainability at Haemonetics, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Another double red cell donation.
This one felt particularly close to home, literally.
About a mile from where I live, near Swarthmore College, I rolled up my sleeve once again for the American Red Cross. And sitting beside me was a familiar sight: an MCS plus apheresis system.
But the machine isn’t really the story.
The reason for sitting in that chair is.
With a Power Red donation, an automated process collects two units of red blood cells while returning plasma and platelets to the donor. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component and are used for patients experiencing trauma or severe blood loss, undergoing surgery, and living with conditions such as sickle cell disease.
That makes the time in this chair feel very small compared with what those red cells may mean to someone else.
And honestly, that’s why I keep coming back.
It’s easy to think that making a difference has to involve something big. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Sometimes it’s finding a blood drive a mile from home.
Sometimes it’s giving a little bit of your time.
Sometimes it’s sitting still while a machine does its work, knowing that somewhere down the line, another person may need exactly what you can give.
Working around medical technology gives me one perspective on healthcare. Being the person connected to that technology gives me another.
The equipment matters. The systems matter. The people who make all of it possible matter. But ultimately, there is a patient at the other end of all of it.
That’s something worth remembering.
And that’s why, when I’m eligible, I keep coming back.
If you’re eligible to donate, consider rolling up your sleeve too.”
Stay updated with Hemostasis Today.
-
Oct 31, 2026, 09:10Alberto F. Chambi: Stroke and Cerebral Venous Thrombosis at High Altitude
-
Oct 31, 2026, 08:52Julianna Argueta: ATHN Data Summit – Advancing Collaboration in Blood Disorders
-
Oct 31, 2026, 08:11Paul Kariuki: Expanding Access to Plasma-Derived Medicines Across Africa
-
Oct 31, 2026, 07:09Akshay Sharma: Gene therapy for sickle cell disease
-
Oct 31, 2026, 07:00Owen McCarty: The Hidden Immune Mechanism Behind Chemotherapy-Associated Platelet Loss
-
Oct 31, 2026, 06:51Thijn Brummelkamp: SMIM1 Reveals a Novel Pathway for Cellular Iron Uptake Through Haemoglobin
-
Oct 31, 2026, 01:26Bringing the Voices of People With Bleeding Disorders to WHO Regional Discussions – World Federation of Hemophilia
-
Oct 31, 2026, 01:18A Clear Overview of Haemophilia A Treatments at SISET Congress – CRH French Reference Center for Hemophilia Lyon
-
Oct 31, 2026, 01:11Alexander Misono: Venous Ultrasound and Early Intervention in Deep Vein Thrombosis