Fiona is a smiley girl. She loves to talk about kittens, books and playing with her dolls.
In the coming weeks, Fiona is taking on a Big Girl mission – to encourage people to donate blood during upcoming blood drives at UCHealth’s Garth Englund Blood Center.
Fiona comes to the center every three weeks to get blood. Her sister comes with her to help make the three hours she spends getting blood transfusions go by a little faster.
“It’s what has allowed Fiona to keep being an active little girl,” said her mother.
Call to sponsor your own blood drive or call the blood bank today to schedule your donation.
Garth Englund Blood Donation Center
- 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., Loveland: 970.624.1510
- 1025 Pennock Place, Suite 104, Fort Collins: 970.495.8965
To donate, a person must be at least 18 years old (or 17 with a parent’s permission) and show a photo identification. New donors must weigh at least 120 pounds and be in good health. Prior donors must weigh at least 110 pounds. More information about eligibility requirements, the donation process, and donation center hours are posted on our blood donations page.
The blood she receives comes from UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center in northern Colorado.
Donations to Garth Englund Blood Center, both those collected at the center locations and at blood drives, provide blood to patients of UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, UCHealth Cancer Center – Harmony Campus and UCHealth Estes Park Medical Center.
“In northern Colorado, we have a fairly rare circumstance in today’s blood donation centers, in that we are a local extension of UCHealth,” said Charles Kaine, blood donor recruiter with the center. “There aren’t many circumstances like us left in the U.S. What it means for northern Colorado is that donations taken here stay here. It is truly a gift of self that will help your neighbors and friends locally.”
A large percentage of that blood goes toward the maintenance needs of patients, according to Amanda Barzak, lead technologist with the center. “There are people who need blood their whole lives, so having a continuous supply of blood donations is important.”
However, during the mid-summer months, busy schedules often prevent people from sticking to their regular blood donation schedules, and a seasonal lull impacts local blood supplies when the need of regular patients remains steady and trauma patient needs increases, Kaine said.
On June 28, Fiona is hosting a blood drive at the Windsor-Severance Fire Rescue station to bring awareness to the need for donations. People are encouraged to sign up to donate at her drive (or another if you can’t make it) or schedule an appointment to donate at one of the centers.
Don’t forget to tell them Fiona sent you.