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GIVE BLOOD.
this Spring, do your part to renew
lives by giving blood.
provides every drop of
d needed by patients in
medical facilities across
When you give now through May, you’ll receive
homa. The donor centers
a good-to-go travel tumbler in appreciation,
ocated across the state in
OR you can choose to forgo the tumbler, and
Ardmore, Enid, Lawton,
redirect its cost to support the American
homa City, Ponca City and
Savelocations
a life &ina tree! To receive Pulse via email,
goAssociation through April, and local
a. Additional
Heart
Oklahoma
City website
area include
children’s
to the
listed below for your area. Click
the hospitals in May.
ond, Midwest City and
newsletter
sign-up
button
on
the
home
page.
man.
KOCO-TV Chief
Donors can choose to forgo
the donor appreciation
item, and funds designated
for this item will then be
Meteorologist Rick Mitchell
redirected to
APRIL
13-14 - OKC Mathis Brothers Furniture, 3434 W. Reno; 2-7 p.m. promoted by
Global
Blood
Fund!
KOCO-TV. In addition to other
giveaways,
donors
will have a chance to win a
www.txbi.org
SPRING ‘13
s Blood Institute, (TBI) an
$1,000 gift certificate from Mathis Brothers Furniture.
ate of OBI, has been the sole
der of all blood and blood
MAY
ucts to north Texas since
24 - 25 - Pre-Memorial Day Drives, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. sponsored by Oklahoma
2004. A nonprofit, regional
Pork Council
d center, it serves all eight
Oklahoma donor centers
itals in Archer, Baylor, Clay,
Free barbeque
pork
plus a chance
to win9aa.m.
catered
It’s Spring
time to celebrate
life in nature
andsandwiches
all around and fixin’s
Pre-Memorial
Day Drives,
- 4 p.m.,
d, Hardeman,
Wichita- and
barbeque pork picnic for 40. These radio stations across Oklahoma will join in:
arger counties.
Its now
flagship
us. Give
through May
22, and receive
or center is conveniently
• Oklahoma City’s KOMA,
• Ada’s BOSS
an insulated
lunch tote in appreciation,
Each
donorKOKC
receives FREE:
ed at 3709
Gregory Street
KMGL,
KRXO,
• Ardmore’s KTRX
OR choose to forgo the tote to support
chita Falls.
An Insulated
Lunch Tote
• Ponca •City’s
Team Radio
FEEL ALIVE. GIVE BLOOD.
sponsored by
• Enid’s KOFM
(while supplies last)
• Tulsa’s KVOO
the Global Blood Fund, a charity
• Lawton’s Magic 95
• Health Screenings
making safe blood donation
possible
in
23-24 - Oklahoma donor centers; Free barbeque pork
Texas donor center
• Donor Rewards Points
www.arkbi.org
underdeveloped countries.
Coupon for Golden Chick combo meal;
ice
cream from
Dairy
&
T-shirtOak
andFarms
two free
admissions
to the OKC or
Photosandwich,
ID Required.
ors with Arkansas Blood
Southwestern Ice Cream; sponsored byTulsa
Wichita
Falls’
BOBdonor,
FM plus a chance to win a catered
Zoo
for
each
tute (ABI) exclusively meet
APRIL
barbeque pork picnic for 40.
lood needs of patients in 17
12-13 -Arkansas.
OKC Mathis Brothers Furniture, 3434 W. Reno; 2 itals in western
includes
7Clark,
p.m. Crawford,
promoted by KOCO-TV. In addition to other
31 - M*A*S*H* Bash klin, Garland, Hot Spring,
Nowa through
April,
can support
the American Heart Association (AHA) by
giveaways,
donors will have
chance to
win you
a $1,000
gift
Smith donor
son, Logan, Montgomery,
forgoing the tumbler or T-shirt offered inFort
appreciation
for giving blood. In turn,
certificate
from
Polk, Scott,
Sebastian
and Mathis Brothers Furniture.
www.obi.org
center.
Donors
will value to support the
our organization will make a monetary contribution
of similar
counties, as well as Adair,
enjoy
free
hot
dogs
American
Heart
Association.
uoyah, Haskell,
MAY Latimer and
and receive a
ore in eastern Oklahoma.
22-26
- Donate
at one ofCombine
these blood
drives
hosted
by blood with
or centers
are located
in
your
gift of
life-saving
a contribution to AHA by simply
commemorative
Smith and
Hot Springs.
Oklahoma
casinos,
declining your appreciation item. Support
education,
M*A*S*H* Bashresearch
T-shirt. and treatments for
s affiliated with OBI.
and receive a
heart disease.
voucher for $10
SPRING ‘12
L GOOD.
GIVEplay,
BLOOD.
of casino
a
T-shirt and two free
admissions to the
OKC Zoo.
Special thanks to partners like Chesapeake Energy
Corporation that have dedicated drives exclusively to
Riverwind Casino: May 22, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
support Global Blood Fund. Recently, 200 Chesapeake
SaltCreek Casino: May 23, 1 - 5 p.m.
employees donated blood to
Lucky Star Casino, Concho: May 23, 1 - 6 p.m.
benefit patients in area hospitals.
Sugar Creek Casino: May 23, 1 - 6 p.m.
At the same time, they made
Thunderbird Casino, May 23, 1 - 6 p.m.
a difference internationally.
FireLake Bowling Center: May 24, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Chesapeake’s blood drive coordinators elected to
donate the funds that would have been spent on ball
Remington Park Racetrack & Casino: May 24, noon - 5 p.m.
hats for donors. These funds were contributed to the
FireLake Grand Casino: May 24, 1 - 6 p.m.
Global Blood Fund, a nonprofit assisting blood centers
Lucky Star Casino: May 24, 1 - 6 p.m.
Each donor receives FREE:
in underdeveloped
countries.
Even without the ball
• An Insulated Lunch
Tote
Kickapoo Casino, Harrah: May 25, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
hats as(while
motivation,
Chesapeake employees rolled up
supplies last)
Newcastle Gaming Center: May 25, noon - 5 p.m.
their •sleeves
and gave generously. Chesapeake is
Health Screenings
OBI’s• largest
corporate
blood drive partner, and the
Donor Rewards
Points
Photo ID Required.
organization
hopes this creative approach will serve as
a model for many other groups.
FEEL ALIVE.
GIVE BLOOD.
Open Arms Heal Hearts
Donors can choose to forgo
the donor appreciation
item, and funds designated
for this item will then be
redirected to
Global Blood Fund!
www.obi.org
www.obi.org
FEEL GOOD. GIVE BLOOD.
www.txbi.org
www.arkbi.org
SPRING ‘13
A Bedlam Battle
Everyone Wins
New Mother Saved,
Thanks to Donors
Each semester, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma
State University leverage the enthusiasm of Bedlam to
encourage college students and employees to donate blood
in the Bedlam Blood Battle. And, thanks to dedicated
organizations at each campus, these blood drives continue
to grow.
By Sunshine Wingfield, Community Relations Intern
Sigma Chi is a great example of OU student groups who
believe in blood donation. Its members proudly don their “I
Bleed Crimson” T-shirts to encourage others on campus to
give.
Fifty-three members of Sigma Chi came out to donate at
OU in November.
In Stillwater, the OSU Student Alumni Board has stepped
up as lead sponsor and played an integral part in the Bedlam
blood drives’ success. The group’s efforts have resulted in
more than 3,370 donations in the past two years, making
a life-saving difference
for more than 10,000
Oklahomans.
Bryan says it quickly
went from being the
best day of his life
to the worst as he
watched Katy fight
Katy Roybal with husband, Bryan, and
for
her life. Doctors
daughter, Jane, is thankful to be able
discovered
Katy was
to watch her daughter grow up.
hemorrhaging,
and
Photo courtesy of Laura Jacobs Photography
she was immediately
rushed to surgery. The procedure did not effectively stop
the bleeding, and Katy hemorrhaged a second time. She
then underwent an emergency hysterectomy. In total, she
needed 22 units of blood plus platelets.
“I shudder to think about what would have happened if
there hadn’t been blood available,” Katy said. “Without those
who donated, my daughter would not have her mother,
and my husband would be raising Jane alone.”
Having almost lost his wife in 2011, Bryan was inspired to
become a blood donor. “I plan on giving regularly now,” he
said.
“We are grateful to all the people who gave blood and saved
my life,” said Katy. “They have given our family a second
chance.”
In November, OSU was
crowned the winning
school in the Fall 2012
Bedlam Blood Battle.
Some 1,448 Cowboys
volunteered to give
blood. The University of
Oklahoma rallied 1,310 on
its Norman campus giving
blood.
“The Bedlam Blood Battle
is a great opportunity for
blood donors to show their
school spirit,” said John
Armitage, M.D., president
and CEO. “It is also a
way to show the best in
community spirit by saving
lives. And that is the real
win.”
Bryan and Katy Roybal could not have been more excited as
the couple welcomed its first child into the world: a precious
baby girl named
Jane. But only a short
time after delivery,
Bryan noticed his
wife seemed pale and
shaky.
The Reality of Giving
Jim Orlander, Arkansas Blood
Institute (ABI) donor, knows that giving
blood is a good feeling. And he has
been doing his part to save lives for
many years. He recently received his
25 gallon pin in Fort Smith.
OSU President Burns Hargis
lifts high the Bedlam Blood
Battle trophy during the
presentation at a football game.
This Spring semester brings another opportunity for one
school to claim victory and touch lives!
PULSE — PAGE 2 — SPRING ‘13
Though Jim feels a sense of
accomplishment from his donations,
he says his greatest moment was
when a patient’s son thanked him
for donating platelets. The son
Jim Orlander
shared that his dad was dying of
cancer, and the platelets were helping keep his dad alive
so the family could have a little more time with him and
say good-bye. This emotional experience is a constant
reminder for Jim of the reality of how his commitment to
donate is changing the lives of others.
FEEL GOOD. GIVE BLOOD.
Volunteers Show Giving Spirit Year Round
Sharon Bakie, Ardmore, doesn’t mind being called a ‘bag
lady’. The whimsical name has been given to her and others
who volunteer to assemble blood bags at our donor centers.
Sharon began volunteering at the Ardmore donor center
about a year ago. Through
her giving spirit, blood
bags needed year round
are precisely labeled and
packaged. With more than
250,000 donations each year,
the volume of bags required
is enormous. Each bag
represents a future blood
donation that can save as
many as three people’s lives.
Sharon says she’s known the
importance of blood donation
Sharon Bakie, Ardmore
since she was a young girl.
donor center volunteer
She recalls her mother, who
had a rare blood type, making time to give.
Lynette Blevins, Ada and Ardmore volunteer coordinator,
hopes that Sharon’s story will lead others with a giving
spirit to offer their assistance. “In Ada and Ardmore, we
particularly need people who can give a half day each
week on a regular basis,” she said. “Volunteers willing
to welcome donors, assist with simple clerical tasks and
assemble blood bags at the donor center are needed.”
Ada’s donor center recently honored outstanding volunteers
like Sharon at its annual volunteer appreciation event. The
Volunteer Team of the Year was David and Kathy Timmons.
They have volunteered for nine months as greeters at blood
drives in Atoka, Coal and Pittsburg counties. They are
members of the Pittsburg County Retired Senior Volunteer
Program.
Ada’s Newcomer
Award went to
Cheryl Linker.
Cheryl started
volunteering at the
donor center in
December, and is
the first member of
Ada’s blood bag
crew!
(L to R): Susan Crews, Ada executive
Other Ada volunteers director; Lynette Blevins, Ada volunteer
recognized were Joe coordinator; and Cheryl Linker
Catalano, Volunteer
of the Year, with 108 hours of service in 2012, and Billie
Tomlinson, McCurtain County volunteer, with 13 years of
volunteer service.
We are grateful to all of our wonderful volunteers in
Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas!
Visit the Volunteer pages on our website, or contact
Stephanie Huston at 918-477-0420 or [email protected]
if you would like to volunteer in your area.
Meet Our New Chief
Information Officer
J.P. Potter has joined
Oklahoma Blood Institute
as its chief information
officer. Potter leads the
information technology (IT)
team in managing computer
software, networks and
other technical functions
across all locations served
in Oklahoma, north central
Texas and western Arkansas.
J.P. Potter, chief information
Potter joins the executive
officer for the Blood Institute
team after serving five years in
IT leadership with Chesapeake
Energy. His 33-year career has included a broad range of
IT roles in industries including computer services, electric
utility, retail, consulting and oil and gas. He earned degrees
in both Business Administration and Computer Science at
Drury University.
(L to R): David and Kathy Timmons with John Armitage, M.D.
PULSE — PAGE 3 — SPRING ‘13 “J.P. is a leader in the IT industry, and his vast knowledge and skill sets are already proving valuable to our
organization,” said John Armitage, M.D.
FEEL GOOD. GIVE BLOOD.
Oklahoma Blood Institute
1001 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
NON PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT #527
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
Donors Cash in Points for License Plates
Donor Dan Metzler proudly
displays his OBI license plate.
When Dan Metzler and
Melissa Mays hit the road,
these loyal donors will be
promoting blood donation
from the comfort of their
vehicles. They are the first
two donors to cash in their
Donor Rewards Points for
Oklahoma Blood Institute
customized license plates.
The Donor Rewards Store is just one way donors are
recognized. Donor Rewards Points, redeemable for
merchandise and gift cards in our online store, are
awarded with each blood donation. The store is open
the months of April, September and December each year.
Visit our website. Scroll over the Blood Donors tab at
the top of the home page. Select Donor Rewards and
log in with your donor ID number to track your points and
shop!
Innovation: Cord Blood Bank Planned
Every day, umbilical cord blood that can save lives is
discarded. Without a local, public umbilical cord blood bank,
most mothers have no option to donate it. That will change
later this year when the Blood Institute opens Oklahoma’s
first and only cord blood bank. It will be one of only 20
nationwide to meet rigorous accreditation standards. As
a national leader in transfusion medicine and affiliate of the
National Marrow Donor Program, OBI is uniquely qualified
with the most advanced technology for blood processing
and testing within the region.
Cord blood is an alternative to embryonic stem cells.
There are no ethical or moral concerns regarding umbilical
cord blood. Currently, the umbilical cord is disposed of as
medical waste after a baby is born.
Once the program is launched, our cord blood clinicians will
inform expectant mothers of the opportunity to donate. It is
free to the parents, and the donation process is simple
and painless. After delivery and separation of the cord from
the baby, the mother’s physician or nurse will use a syringe
to collect the blood. Donation doesn’t change the delivery
process and is only performed in an uncomplicated delivery
with a healthy mother and baby.
For many Oklahoma families celebrating a joyous time in
their own lives, cord blood donation will provide a way to,
potentially, bring life-saving joy to someone else’s life.
Yet, there are thousands in need of stem cell transplants
for blood cancers and other disorders. Stem cells play a
key role in regenerative therapies used to treat diseases
ranging from diabetes to heart disease. As more treatment
If you would like to support Oklahoma Blood Institute to
make this program a reality, contact Gary Lynch, Blood
Institute Director of Development, 405-297-5545.
PULSE — PAGE 4 — SPRING ‘13
Toll Free: 877-340-8777
successes are found, stem cells from umbilical cord blood
have the potential to revolutionize care for the most lifethreatening diseases.
FEEL GOOD. GIVE BLOOD.
•
Headquarters: 1001 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73104