Bloodworks 101

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message First and foremost, Comfort Zone, a peer-run drop-in center in Portland, is a safe space. And Vivilynn Amity is one of the people who make it special. Vivilynn is a blood donor, blood drive coordinator, and self-described "emo vampire kid." As Bloodworks 101 producer Helen Pitlick learned, it's not just a phase.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message May 23rd, 2024 is National Stop The Bleed Day. It's a day set aside to help bystanders with no medical training actually help save a life when an emergency strikes and everything is a matter of life and death. As Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, while Stop The Bleed seeks to save lives, it also gives those who take the course, the empowerment it takes to run towards an emergency when everyone else is running away.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Former Washington Governor Gary Locke has a long resume and a distinguished career in public service but did you know he was also an advocate for blood donation? Recently, Locke sat down with contributor Juan Cotto for this special edition of Bloodworks 101.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message When Kristin Kleinhofer's acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) returned, she picked a mantra, a quote by Christopher Reeve: "Once you choose hope, anything's possible." It's this hope, along with the decision made by two families to donate their babies' cord blood and the generosity of more than 90 blood donors, that powers Kristin today.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message When journalists leave the newsroom, they leave the pressure of a daily deadline. It can be liberating for some but for many, this transition also brings on the beginning of a new search for purpose. At least that's what's happened to former KING5 reporter, Chris Cashman. And as Bloodworks 101 podcast producer John Yeager, also a former journalist tells us, Chris has found it by looking for ways to say thanks - to Bloodworks Northwest donors.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message By day, Olympia's Lynette Manning sets up blood drives for Bloodworks Northwest. By night, she's a promising standup comedian with a loyal following. And as Lynette tells Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager in this special BONUS edition, her work with Bloodworks has helped her on stage but as John found out, there's another reason why she's inspired.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message April 16th, 2007 will be remembered as one of the deadliest shootings in American history, leaving 33 people dead on the Virginia Tech campus, including the shooter. It's a day West Seattle's Whitney Moore would like to forget but now feels compelled to honor. Whitney was a student that day when the "sirens were deafening" on the Virginia Tech campus. She shares her story with producer John Yeager on this special edition of Bloodworks 101.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message When Bloodworks’ chief financial officer Bob Gleason retires in June, he will leave an already-cemented legacy as a values-driven finance maestro. Bob has set a high bar, and Bloodworks looked far and wide for a business leader who could match his standards and finesse. And now, Bloodworks is excited to welcome Jeff Perry into the CFO role. Bloodworks 101's Helen Pitlick sat down with Jeff to get to know him a little better and learn more about what he has planned for Bloodworks.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Former Seattle Mariners catcher Dan Wilson played 12 years for the M's, making the playoffs in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001 before retiring in 2005. In 2012, Wilson was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame alongside his battery-mate, pitcher Randy Johnson. But as noteworthy as Wilson's career on the field was, it's his work helping Northwest charities over the years that has a lasting impact on his community. Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager caught up with Dan recently at a Pop-Up Blood Drive hosted by the Mariners at T-Mobile Park for this special ENCORE EDITION of Bloodworks 101.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Sometimes it's easy for many people to underestimate a little thing like rolling up your sleeve and donating a unit of blood. But Seattle's Paul Patu is not one of them. That's because, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, Patu owes his life to that "little thing." And wait til you hear what the impact of that one man's life turned out to be.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Dom Carreiro works in Bloodworks' Transfusion Service Lab at Overlake Hospital. Dom and his team are a direct link between our inventory of typed, tested blood and the patients who need it – or at least, their medical care teams. And sometimes things don't go according to plan.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It's rare that a blood donor and a recipient get to connect but that's exactly what happens on this special ENCORE episode of Bloodworks 101 when frequent platelet donor Dan Ertel meets Mack Bell, a 30-year-old African-American man living with cerebral palsy, who contracted a potentially-deadly blood condition called aplastic anemia. That's a deficiency of all types of blood cells caused by failure of bone marrow development. Mack, as you'll discover, was the recipient of several transfusions that played a big role in the effort to save his life. So, here's what happens when someone with a lot to be grateful for gets to thank someone who wasn't expecting it. But there's more. Wait til you hear what's happened since this story first ran in January of 2022.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message If you're a blood donor, why do you donate? Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager caught up with former KING 5 news anchor and Mark Wright, who's a loyal Bloodworks Northwest donor and got a surprising answer to that question. Mark, who's also the host for the "Beats Working" podcast told John that when it comes to blood donation, there's really no good reason not to. Here's a link to "Beats Working." https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beatsworking

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In 2016, University of Washington sociology professor and mother of two Alexes Harris was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of cancer where the blood-producing cells in a patient’s bone marrow became abnormal and create blood cells that don’t function properly. Alexes underwent chemotherapy treatment to reach remission, but when it came time to find a suitable bone marrow donor, her improving condition met a health equity wall: Her mixed race background meant the chances of finding a donor were slim at best. After learning that all her family members – including her fraternal twin brother – were ineligible to be her donor, Alexes and her husband drove to an appointment with her transplant doctor at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (now Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center). They thought they’d be signing a consent form for a mixed-match transplant. But instead, they met Dr. Filippo Milano, whose clinical trial with cord blood transplants offered another option, one that would make the happiest moment of two families’ lives the best moment of hers too.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Besides supplying 95% of the hospitals in the Pacific Northwest with lifesaving blood products, Bloodworks Northwest advocates for blood donation at the highest levels of state government in Oregon and Washington. With Olympia lawmakers in session this winter, Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager sat down with Bloodworks Director of Government Affairs, Juan Cotto to discuss the organization's legislative agenda. And if Juan's efforts are successful, every driver in the State of Washington will notice.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Bloodworks' Tree of Life celebrates blood donors who have given 100 or more units. Ed Schultz fell in love with the Tree of Life on visits to Bloodworks' Bellevue Donor Center, but seven years ago, it appeared he might never donate blood again. Bloodworks 101 co-producer Helen Pitlick sat down with Ed and his wife, Ellie, to capture the emotions of his 100th donation.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Are you an "open book"? Can people tell how tired you are or what kind of day you've had just by the look in your eye? Well, there's a young woman in North Carolina named Eseosa Evbuomwan who says that she, "does not look like what she's been through." In honor of Black History Month, producer John Yeager shares this remarkable story of perserverance on today's edition of Bloodworks 101.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It’s Black History Month, and we’re taking a look at Sickle Cell Disease, a devastating genetic blood disorder that predominantly impacts people of African descent. Sickle cell disease is an unfortunate reality for many members of Black communities, and at Bloodworks, we’d like to make it history. Dr. Raymond Adili of Bloodworks Research Institute thinks this is possible.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Do you remember what you did December 6th, 2023? Did it stand out in any way? For Mark Dyce-Ryan it's a really special day he'll never forget. Because, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, that's the day Mark was finally able to save a life.

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and later a movie directed by David Fincher, the protagonist ages backwards: he’s born an old man and dies as a baby. It’s fiction, but for some young patients, the premise is not that farfetched. What happens when kids exhibit disorders more often seen in the elderly? Dr. Pavel Davizon-Castillo of Bloodworks Research Institute wants to find out.