Matilda Franks spent her career as a cardiovascular surgical nurse and encountered many patients who needed blood products during their operations. Each time one of her patients needed blood, it was Matilda’s responsibility to do a careful job of checking them in. Throughout her career, Matilda did this countless times, but one patient in particular stuck with her.

“My duty that day was to check in all blood products ordered by the physicians,” she says. “Each bag contains a numbered sticker that is placed into a patient’s chart as a record of the blood, platelets or other products that are used. That day, I filled a complete blood record with stickers for whole blood, packed cells and platelets. That patient needed more blood and blood products than I, as a regular donor, had given in my lifetime!”

It was something Matilda will never forget and serves as a guiding force as she continues to donate blood into her 80s. “That memory is tattooed on my brain and heart,” she says. “I will continue donating blood as long as I am able.”

People need people, make a difference in someone’s life by donating blood.

We must rely on each other for the gift of blood, and patients in your community rely on the generosity of Versiti’s blood donors to help. Please consider scheduling an appointment to donate. If this is your first time, donating blood is quick, easy and relatively painless. And, it is a great way to give back and help patients in your community.