When Giving Comes Naturally: Christiane Hughes Reaches 25 Gallons of Donated Blood

And it all began in 1971 with a college student who wanted to go home early. Christiane Hughes was attending school in Syracuse when a blood drive offered students a pretty appealing incentive: donate blood and go home for the rest of the day. She decided to give it a try.

When staff had trouble finding her vein, Christiane jokingly gave them a limit. “Three times and I’m out of here!” She stayed. What started as a lighthearted reason to leave school early became something much bigger. More than 50 years later, Christiane has now reached 25 gallons of blood donated through the American Red Cross.

In many ways, that kind of giving fits naturally into the rest of Christiane’s life. For more than 20 years, she has fostered cats and kittens in need. When the call comes asking whether she can help, Christiane’s answer has often been yes. She and her family have also raised dogs through Guiding Eyes for the Blind, caring for and training them before eventually letting them go on to serve someone who needed their assistance. That same instinct to give carries into her work. For the past seven years, Christiane has served as a purchasing agent with The Arc Otsego, where she also teaches stained glass classes.

For someone who considers herself reserved, Christiane has quietly spent much of her life stepping forward when there is an opportunity to help. Her blood donation journey followed much the same pattern. Christiane tried to donate regularly over the years, although work, raising a family and everyday responsibilities sometimes got in the way. “Life gets messy,” she said.  

But the interruptions never became a reason to stop. When the Red Cross contacted her and there was a need for blood, Christiane would carve out the time and, as she put it, “just kept movin’.”

Eventually, the gallons began to add up. About 10 years ago, she challenged herself to reach 20 gallons donated. She did it. Then, with the same humor that has followed her since her first Syracuse blood drive, Christiane decided there was no reason to stop there. “Well, okay. My new goal is 25!” Now, she has reached that milestone too. “I personally can’t believe it,” she said.

Over the decades, Christiane has also watched the donation experience change. One change she especially values is the communication donors now receive about their blood after giving. Technology allows donors to receive general updates about where a donation has traveled and that it has been sent somewhere to meet a need. For Christiane, that small connection to the life of a donation has made a lasting impression. “It warms my heart to know it’s being used and where it’s going,” she said.

That may be the best way to describe Christiane’s approach to giving: no fanfare, no expectation of recognition, just a willingness to help wherever she can and to “just keep movin’.”

Written by: Cinnamon Morris, Communications Volunteer, American Red Cross of WNY

Spreading the Love, One Donation at a Time

The year was 1968. Fall was in full swing, and 14-year-old Christine Camann was sanding her family’s porch railing with bright orange Rust-Oleum. For a moment, she wondered whether they should leave it that color for the season’s festivities.

But another thought lingered in the back of her mind.

Is my dad going to be okay?

Christine’s father was scheduled to undergo surgery to replace two valves in his heart. The family had been told to expect him to remain in intensive care for about a week following the procedure. Instead, to Christine’s surprise, he returned home that same day. “They can’t do the surgery,” her father told the family. “They don’t have enough blood.”

Both Christine and her father were O negative. O-negative red blood cells can be given to patients of any blood type, making them especially valuable in emergencies. But for people with O-negative blood, the compatibility does not work in reverse—they can receive only O-negative red blood cells. For Christine, the importance of an adequate blood supply suddenly became deeply personal.

“I resolved right then that I didn’t want anybody else ever to be in a situation where the doctors couldn’t take care of them because they didn’t have enough blood,” Christine recalled. “I felt bad because I couldn’t donate. I was only 14.”

At the time, donors had to be at least 18 years old. Christine did not specify exactly when she made her first donation, but the experience with her father became part of what would inspire a decades-long commitment to giving blood.

Over the years, Christine found more reasons to continue. She read stories about patients who depended on donated blood. She knew people personally, including her father, whose medical care had been affected by its availability. And sometimes, a few weeks after giving blood, she would receive a notification letting her know where her donation had gone. Some of those messages told her that her blood had helped premature babies.

For Christine, those reminders connected the donation process to the people on the other side of it. A little time spent donating could mean something much larger for a patient or family in need.

As the years passed, the donations added up.

Christine received milestone pins recognizing how many gallons of blood she had given. Eventually, she lost count of them. She knew she had passed 10 gallons, but the recognition was never what kept her returning. Then she received notice that she had reached 20 gallons. A larger milestone pin made its mark.

“Maybe I oughtta get this one!” she said.

Christine has also watched the donation experience evolve through the years. As the Red Cross has strengthened and refined its screening process, donor questionnaires have become more detailed, while advances in technology have helped make other parts of the donation process faster and more efficient.

There is one change, however, that Christine remembers particularly well: the snacks. Years ago, organizations sponsoring blood drives were responsible for providing refreshments. Donors were encouraged to drink water or fruit juice and eat a snack after giving blood. When churches hosted drives, Christine remembers homemade treats, including pies, appearing at the refreshment table.

Today, donors are more likely to find prepackaged snacks. “I understand the reasons for prepackaged foods,” Christine said, “but boy, I thought the homemade stuff was a really good deal!” The refreshments are not the only thing that has made Christine’s donation experiences memorable. She typically donates four to six times a year and does not always encounter the same staff members. Still, some manage to remember her.

It may have something to do with the cow.

During a blood donation, donors are often given something soft to squeeze in their hand. Christine began bringing her own—a small rubber cow whose legs she could lock her fingers around while donating. The cow developed a reputation of its own. “Oh, you’re the one that has the cow!” Christine recalled hearing from staff members. Over time, she joked, the cow gained a little “infamy.”

The homemade pies, milestone pins and infamous cow bring humor to Christine’s memories, but beneath them is the same motivation that began decades ago with a 14-year-old girl worrying about her father. She knows what a blood donation can mean when someone needs it.

For anyone who has never donated but is considering it, Christine points to how much impact can come from a relatively small investment of time and effort.

“It’s amazing what a little time and effort can do for other people in need,” she said. “Go for it, that’s what I would say.”

After decades of giving, Christine’s story is marked not only by incredible commitment, but by the care, consistency and generosity behind each donation. From the pledge she made at 14 to the many donations that followed, her motivation has remained rooted in helping others when they need it most.

In Christine’s words, it comes down to something incredibly impactful but quite simple:

“Just spread the love.”

There is a critical need for blood donors as the readily available blood supply reached a four-year summer low. You can spread the love by helping to ensure that patients receive the lifesaving care they need by making an appointment to donate. 

Visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or download the free Red Cross Blood Donor app to find an appointment nearest you.

Written by: Cinnamon Morris, Communications Volunteer, Red Cross of WNY

‘We Met Miss Wanda’: How a Local Red Cross Disaster Worker Brought Comfort to Spokane Wildfire Evacuees

“I have a small, assisted living business, managing two adult family homes in north Spokane. On Saturday, I was doing my errands and one of my caregivers called me and said that we’ve been told to evacuate. I knew there were fires and a lot of smoke, but I didn’t know that it was going to affect our area. They told us to go to the shelter at the convention center.”

From there, Rose Chebe prepared her residents, staff of caregivers and her own family to transition to the American Red Cross evacuation shelter at the Spokane Convention Center.

“We got everybody in the cars and they told us to go to the convention center. We had 12 of my residents, caregivers and my husband, daughter and I. Everybody panicked. Then we met Miss Wanda.”

Wanda Martinez-Johncox serves as a Community Disaster Program Specialist in the Greater Rochester chapter in the Western New York region. Before starting her role in 2019, she served as a Greater Rochester Board member and Red Cross volunteer for six years, deploying to disasters big and small here at home and across the country.

She is now one of hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers providing safe shelter, meals and snacks, health and mental health support and relief items to those affected by the devastating wildfires in Spokane, Washington.

“It’s one Red Cross. Without being a volunteer first, I couldn’t have understood what it’s like to be on the ground and deploy. I use what I learned as a volunteer. I’m just trying to make them comfortable. Even if it’s just a hug or a laugh. Simple things like that make it more comfortable because it’s hard. I’m just grateful to be here to help out. We’re here for you.”

Two elderly members of Chebe’s group required a medical bed to help keep them elevated during their stay. While she was able to find housing for everyone after a two-night stay at the shelter, Chebe says the support provided to them by the Red Cross and people like Wanda was a blessing.

“She made it easier to be out of our homes and comfortable. It makes me feel good that we have somebody that caring. That’s what you need when you transition to a place like this. In a disaster, you don’t know where to start but when you meet good people like Wanda, it makes you feel comfortable. She has a big heart, she’s in the right job.”

Amid renewed alerts for potential evacuations, Chebe was back at the shelter a few days later – this time, however, just to embrace someone she now calls a lifelong friend.

“I came to see Miss Wanda. This is my girl. She can come back and visit me because without her I don’t know how we would’ve done it.”

The Red Cross continues to support relief efforts in Spokane and respond to multiple states to support the families and communities impacted by other massive fires burning across the West.

You can help support families depending on the Red Cross for assistance now by making a donation or signing up to volunteer at redcross.org

A Mother's Mission, A Son's Strength: Fighting for Sickle Cell Warriors

As Executive Director of Sickle Cell Warriors of Buffalo, Melaney Agahiu’s mission is to educate and advocate for Sickle Cell Warriors across the community.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people turn a blind eye when they, unless it hits home. It’s easy to just ignore. I challenge people to learn about sickle cell and how it impacts people, and how they can help.”

For Melaney, that challenge is especially personal. Her son, 18-year-old Drew Agahiu, is a warrior himself.

“Initially, I was coming into Sickle Cell Warriors of Buffalo for support. Then it turned into a lot of volunteering. Sometimes it’s just being able to talk to someone who just gets it.”

Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disorder in the United States, and it’s estimated that more than 100,000 people have sickle cell nationwide. Sickle cell disease distorts soft, round blood cells, turning them hard and crescent-shaped, which can lead to severe pain, tissue and organ failure, anemia, infections and strokes.

Throughout their journey, Drew and Melaney have been fortunate to be surrounded by a large community of supporters each making an impact, from family, friends, their Sickle Cell Warriors of Buffalo family – and a community of strangers nationwide.

“It means a lot to me,” Drew explained. “I feel like blood donors give a lot of support to me. Actually, they give 100 percent support to me. It’s hard to put into words.”

For warriors like Drew, regular blood and platelet transfusions are critical to managing extreme pain and life-threatening complications caused by sickle cell. After receiving multiple transfusions over the course of his treatment, Drew began receiving monthly apheresis transfusions two years ago.

“If it weren’t for people donating blood, Drew would probably be in a much worse condition,” Melaney said. “Before that, it was 6 or 7 hospital admissions a year. You know, it would be maybe 5 days to, you know, 6 to 8 weeks that he would be in the hospital, and that would include a handful of ICU admissions. Now, he probably has one hospital admission a year, maybe. It’s a blessing. He still obviously experiences pain and has crises, but oftentimes we can manage it at home, and I know for a fact that’s because of the transfusions.”

Noting her son’s extra energy as a result, Drew was quick to agree with a smile. 

“Now that we’ve been doing it once a month, that’s been a big change for me and it’s helping with my pain.”

That’s why Melaney says her work challenging the public to educate themselves on sickle cell is doubly important.  

Transfusions rely heavily on donors who carry CEK-negative antigens, which provides the best blood match and helps alleviate symptoms for those fighting sickle cell. Blood donors who are African American are nearly three times more likely to be CEK-negative than donors of a different race or ethnicity.

“Why is it important for people to donate blood?” Melaney asked. “It’s because it saved his life and other Sickle Cell Warriors. I can speak firsthand. I see the night and day.”

Drew agreed, “Don’t be afraid. You’re the biggest help to sickle cell warriors. Your support helps me to be there to hang out with friends or enjoy special moments.”

As our nation observes Juneteenth and World Sickle Cell Day on Friday, June 19, the Red Cross is honoring sickle cell warriors like Drew, the light they carry and the community of blood donors who surround them.

Every donation helps patients continue to thrive. The Red Cross encourages eligible donors of all backgrounds to make an appointment to give blood and help ensure patients with sickle cell disease have access to the lifesaving transfusions they need.

Those who come to give blood June 1-28, 2026, will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of choice and be automatically entered for a chance to win one of two $7,500 gift cards.

Make an appointment to donate by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

Written by: Meg Rossman, American Red Cross of WNY