A Birthday Blood Donation Tradition

Eilish Cumbo celebrates her 30th birthday by
making her 56th blood donation

“Happy birthday to you...” is a tune we expect to hear at a family gathering, in an elementary school classroom or even at a restaurant. But at a blood donation center? 

Buffalo resident, Eilish Cumbo, recently flipped the script on the traditional birthday celebration. The Western New York Red Cross board member and regular blood donor is so dedicated, she scheduled her 56th blood donation – putting her at the 7 gallon mark – to take place on her 30th birthday as a special way to mark both major milestones.

She shares that growing up, both of her parents were regular blood donors.  Eilish can remember tagging along to their blood donation appointments. While there, the canteen volunteer would tell Eilish and her siblings they could have a cookie, but only if they promised to donate blood when they got older. She made good on her promise and started donating blood at the age of 16, and hasn’t stopped yet.

While there isn’t a specific story or occurrence tied to why she gives, she says, “I know someone out there needs it, and that is enough of a reason for me.” That person could be a trauma patient, someone fighting cancer, an organ transplant recipient or a sickle cell warrior. Eilish has type O- blood, so she knows her donation is especially important to helping patients in emergency situations.  A busy full-time job, completing (multiple!) advanced degrees, and even a global pandemic couldn’t pause Eilish’s commitment to giving lifesaving blood.

“Knowing that I am doing something small - and very easy - to help others is what motivates me to

WNY Chapter Board Member, Eilish Cumbo,
has donated seven gallons of blood so far

donate, and what led me to join the Board of Directors for the WNY American Red Cross so that I can make an even greater impact on the community,” she explained. “Every blood donation can help save up to three lives, so that is 168 people that may have been helped by my small action. Not a bad impact for fulfilling that promise to get a cookie.”

Want to start a new birthday tradition of your own? The American Red Cross urges healthy individuals to give blood or platelets for patients battling disease and facing the unexpected. Each day, the American Red Cross needs to collect nearly 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations to meet the needs of patients at about 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. If you are feeling well, please make an appointment to give by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Story and Photos by: Katie Potter, American Red Cross
External Communications Manager