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Al Whitney enjoyed his visit to the
Glenview Donor Center where he made his 586th platelet donation.
Cheering him on are (from left); George Kelly, Fenwal; Patricia
Johnson, LifeSource Apheresis Development Coordinator; and Kathy
Mickles, LifeSource Apheresis Technical Manager. |
LifeSource welcomed Platelets Across America founder Al Whitney to the
Glenview Donor Center as he made his 586th platelet donation. Illinois
is the seventh state in Whitney’s quest to donate platelets in every
state. The retired factory worker has named his effort “Platelets
Across America” and he is traveling the United States raising awareness
about the need for platelet donations.
“Donating platelets is a thrill,” Whitney, 70, said. “When you
realize that your platelets are probably going to save the life of a
cancer patient within four days – how can it not be a thrill?”
An Ohio native, he has donated platelets in Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Michigan, Texas, Indiana and Kentucky. A blood donor since the
mid-1960s, Whitney has given more than 5 gallons of whole blood in
addition to 586 platelet donations. He also has helped organize
mobile blood drives in conjunction with LifeShare Community Blood
Services.
“I’ve actually donated in Australia, too, but obviously that doesn’t
count toward the 50-states plan,” he said. The next stop for
Whitney is Wisconsin where he will make donation number 587.
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