Over the course of 34 years, a Colorado man has donated more than 80 gallons of blood, saving 1,920 lives. Dave Mahalick, from Pueblo, makes a 100-mile round trip every other week to give blood.
In a little over three decades, Dave has made a whopping 640 donations a major milestone for the gentleman, who says it’s the least he can do. Dave started giving blood 34 years ago, inspired to do his bit after one of his friends’ mums needed a blood transfusion. He says once he got in the habit of donating blood, he just ‘kept on doing it’.Vitalant, a non-profit organization that collects blood from volunteer donors and provides blood services across the US, awarded Dave with a commemorative pin on Friday (October 11) to mark the milestone which many people do not reach in their lifetime.
In a little over three decades, Dave has made a whopping 640 donations a major milestone for the gentleman, who says it’s the least he can do. Dave started giving blood 34 years ago, inspired to do his bit after one of his friends’ mums needed a blood transfusion. He says once he got in the habit of donating blood, he just ‘kept on doing it’.Vitalant, a non-profit organization that collects blood from volunteer donors and provides blood services across the US, awarded Dave with a commemorative pin on Friday (October 11) to mark the milestone which many people do not reach in their lifetime.
Vitalant says they have eight donation centers in ColThey also need 40,000 more black donors to meet the growing demand for better-matched blood, as well as 30,000 new donors with priority blood types such as O negative every year. The best thing about giving blood: nearly anyone can do it. As per the criteria set out on the website, you must be fit and healthy; weigh between 7 stone 12 lbs and 25 stone, or 50kg and 160kg; be aged between 17 and 66 (or 70 if you have given blood before) or be over 70 and have already given blood in the last two years. Colorado and regular blood drives for people to come along and donate. According to GIVE Blood, the UK needs nearly 400 new donors a day to meet demands, as well as 135,000 new donors a year to replace those who can no longer donate.
In the UK, unlike Dave’s extraordinarily generous bi-weekly visits, men can give blood every 12 weeks and women can give blood every 16 weeks.