"Take it from someone who has been there": Local blood drive host shares full circle moment

“Please give blood, you never know when you or one of yours will need it”. I’ve written those words many times over the past couple years in an effort to have people sign up for our Red Cross blood drive at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cohocton, NY. My time came on November 9, 2023 when I had a heart attack that required bypass surgery. One of the last things I had to do prior to going into surgery was to be tested and to sign off on accepting blood transfusion if needed. It was at this point I was so glad that the American Red Cross does those drives.

If you’re lucky enough to have crossed paths with Carl Drum, it’s likely you received the message above late last week. Despite a lifechanging heart attack last fall, the president of the congregation at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church has been hard at work hoping to encourage others to roll up a sleeve in the midst of an ongoing blood shortage nationwide.

“I’ve always said on Facebook and anywhere that I contact people, ‘you never know when it might be you.’ And then all of a sudden, that happened. It was me. One of the last things I did in the pre-op room was sign papers saying that if I needed blood that I was willing to take your blood – actually, my blood!”

It was a full circle moment for Drum, who worked with the American Red Cross of Western New York to begin hosting regular blood drives at St. Paul’s two years ago.

“We’ve had some successful drives and we’ve had some that weren’t quite so successful,” Drum explained. “I’d previously given as frequently as I can until now. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I needed blood or not during surgery, and I don’t care. I sincerely believe now more than ever, the life you might be saving through blood donation may be your own.”

Currently, the American Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. As a result, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by more than 40 percent due to challenges like winter weather, seasonal illnesses and the COVID-19 pandemic which made it difficult to reach blood donors with community drives like those hosted by St. Paul’s.

Up until November, Drum was a steady donor and received his One Gallon Donor pin this past summer. He is recovering well from the surgery and looking forward to celebrating another year of life on January 15, while encouraging others to share theirs.   

“Take it from someone who has been there. Never in a million years did I think I would be in a circumstance where it would be my turn. Well, it was my turn. You just never know.”

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is scheduled to hold its next regularly scheduled blood drive on January 23. You can find a list of upcoming blood drives in your area by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor app on your smartphone.

Red Cross Western NY region staff member shares the special meaning behind his dedication on the job

 

Jason Fogg's infant son, Jackson, required a blood transfusion related to an emergency heart surgery in 2018. Today, he is a happy, healthy 2-year old.

January is National Blood Donor Month. Without volunteer donors, blood products for hospital patients like Jackson – young son of Rochester collections specialist Jason Fogg – would not be readily available.  
 
Fogg has served the Red Cross Western New York region for two and a half years, but he was only a few months on the job before he experienced an even deeper appreciation for the organization’s lifesaving mission. 
 
In early 2018, 2-month-old Jackson was diagnosed with an extremely rare, life-threatening congenital heart defect, which caused the passage of blood to be slowed due to an extra chamber in his heart’s left atrium. With very mild symptoms, the Foggs were lucky to have caught it as early as they did. Within 24 hours, Jackson was undergoing emergency surgery, and required a blood transfusion. 
 
At that time, Fogg had only recently started working for the Red Cross. “It was an eye-opener to me for a lot of different reasons, but it made me appreciate the work that I do even more,” said Fogg. “I reached out to our team and said, ‘make sure you tell everybody in collections and everyone around you right now, thank you for everything that you do.’” 
 
Thankfully Jackson, now 2, has made a full recovery.  
 
“I have this motto on a bracelet I wear and it says ‘do it for Jackson’ with a little blood drop on it,” said Fogg. Whenever days are getting tough or things are not going well, I look at it as a reminder that this is important work and I take a lot of pride in what I do.”
 

Esteemed recognition

Fogg’s responsibilities include setting up blood drives, training and coaching staff, and managing the drives entirely. In his terms, this means “taking the moving pieces and making them all work to collect blood products as efficiently as possible.”  
 
With his dedication in mind, Fogg was recently nominated for and awarded the Red Cross Presidential Award for Excellence. Fogg received a pin and certificate (pictured above) in recognition of this national-level achievement.
 
The Presidential Award for Excellence is presented to employees or volunteers who demonstrate exceptional performance or service in support of the organization, delivering on its multi-faceted mission. Nominees actions must go beyond meeting organizational goals and expectations and be exemplary of the highest level of commitment to Red Cross values and the execution of superior service and performance.
 
“Jason cares deeply for the mission of the Red Cross and works hard to fulfill it and serve as an example for other employees. He is an innovative problem solver. He finds new ways to enhance the donation experience, realizing that even the smallest, everyday efforts make a difference,” said Hanna Malak, Western New York Regional Donor Services Executive.
 
Humbled, Fogg is quick to share the credit.
 
“I am only as strong as the team around me and the management that puts me in the position to succeed,” said Fogg. “Those are the people that I feel are just as responsible for this award and nomination as I am.”
 

Overcoming a challenging year
 
2020 posed many challenges, however the response from the Rochester community and supporters across the region has been nothing short of inspiring. 
 
“It has been a difficult past year,” said Fogg. “It is a testament to what we have in our area, Western NY in general. We have amazing people that really understand the importance of humanity.”
 
Even with strong turnouts, the need is constant. Especially for blood donations from those who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies. 
 
For COVID-19 survivors, there are two ways to help – through a convalescent plasma donation or by simply giving whole blood. Plasma from whole blood donations that test positive for COVID-19 antibodies may be used to help COVID-19 patients. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 can sign up to donate convalescent plasma now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/Plasma4COVID.
 
“It is nice to get the chance to speak with them [donors] and watch them go through the experience of a first-time donation,” said Fogg. “We get to make their experience extra special, answer any questions, and remind them that they are doing great things with their blood, literally helping save lives.”
 
Health emergencies don’t pause for holidays, game days or a pandemic – blood is needed every two seconds in the U.S. to help patients battling injury and illness. The Red Cross has teamed up with the NFL to offer those who come to give blood, platelets or  plasma, Jan. 1-31, 2021, a chance to win a getaway to the 2022 Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. Terms apply; visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for more information.  
 
Appointments can be scheduled through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Story by Nicole Mauro, American Red Cross