Dear Cathy Bryan,

Two days before Christmas 2005 I was visiting Santa Rosa when I encountered severe abdominal and back pain. My daughter-in-law rushed me to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where I went downhill quickly. I was bleeding internally so they gave me several units of blood to stabilize my condition. Dr. Brian Schmidt, Chief Trauma Surgeon determined that my adrenal artery had ruptured, a very rare occurrence.

It was weeks after my release from the hospital that I learned that Blood Bank of the Redwoods supplied the blood that I received. I never thought much about the blood supply, but now I have so much admiration for the role that blood banks play in the local healthcare system. Knowing that I’m alive because someone right here in this community donated blood makes me want to give back by supporting blood donation whenever I can.

Regards,

John J. Corley
Napa, CA