‘I would not be here were it not for the blood’: Duval residents describe impact of blood donation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Community members are speaking out about the role blood donation has played in their personal lives.

This comes as Action News Jax and our Family Focus partners have teamed up for our annual Spring Into Action Blood Drive.

Jacksonville resident Penelope McGowan told Action News Jax reporter Kennedy Dendy that having the opportunity to give blood is an honor. “My father needed a life-saving procedure, so it became more important to me to start giving blood,” McGowan said.

She then became a regular giver, knowing the impact donation truly has.

“That allowed him the time to spend time with his grandchildren,” McGowan said. “He walked his granddaughter down the aisle and got to see some of his great-grandchildren.”

McGowan said blood donation made that moment possible.

“Now that he’s passed away, I want to give that gift of time to other families,” McGowan said. “So, it’s so important to me to give blood.”

RELATED: OneBlood, Action News Jax team up for the Spring into Action Blood Drive

Action News Jax also spoke with John Dean, who is a patient at the Mayo Clinic. He’s from South Carolina but has been living in Jacksonville since January.

“I got the bone marrow transplant, which is basically a stem cell infusion on January 17th,” Dean said. “I have been dealing with myelodysplastic syndrome.”

Dean said it’s a form of bone marrow cancer he’s been battling since 2017.

“During that time, I had become increasingly dependent upon blood because the syndrome destroys my body’s ability to make red blood cells,” Dean said. “So when the blood numbers drop, I get very very sick.”

He said the transplant was designed to cut down on his need to get the blood, but that hasn’t happened yet.

“I’ve been more blood dependent since January than I had been before I came down here,” Dean said.

Dean spoke with me just moments after he received a blood transfusion at the hospital -- but he wanted one message out there.

“You’re transmitting a miracle,” Dean said. “I’m a living example of that. I would not be here were it not for the blood.”

OneBlood said to donate you’ll need an ID, and you must be 16 years and older.

Randy Varner donated double red blood cells at Tuesday’s drive.

“My wife has had to have two heart valves replaced, so she’s had to have blood before at the hospital -- so I try to help out when I can,” Varner said.

Varner shared that if you’re able to -- you should give.

“There’s nothing to it,” Varner said. “You go in there. You answer a few questions. You lay down. You can take a little nap if you have to.”

Nicole Payne is the Senior Program and Membership Director with the Brooks Family YMCA, one of the many sites for the drive.

“There’s always a lack of blood available for people that come into any traumatic situation,” Payne said. “We want to make sure that we can hopefully combine some of the best parts of Jacksonville -- and that’s through OneBlood being here to help people have access to donate.”

The Spring into Action Blood Drive kicked off Tuesday and runs through Friday.

When you donate you will receive a free t-shirt, a $20 e-gift card, and an additional gift depending on the location where you donate.

CLICK HERE to find out when and where you can donate.

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