Community Stories

Heather

On a bright spring morning at CBC’s newly opened Green Bay Donor Center this past year, Heather embarked on a new chapter in her journey as a lifesaver—she became a first-time platelet donor. Heather had always understood the importance of [read more...]

Rayne

Rayne was just three-years-old when her mom, Corey, noticed she looked pale. Almost immediately, a team of ER doctors realized Rayne needed blood. She was quickly given a blood transfusion. Worried and unsure of what to expect, Corey learned the [read more...]

Cameron

Cameron’s wife, Lauren, was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer in October 2016. Throughout her two-year battle, she went through countless chemotherapy sessions and relied on blood transfusions. “The chemo treatment was saving her but in order to receive the [read more...]

Jada

Growing up, Jada saw firsthand what donating blood could do for a family. She remembers, as a young girl, her mother having to go in for blood transfusions. She doesn’t remember exactly why her mom needed blood transfusions often, but [read more...]

Dajuante

About 100,000 Americans are impacted by Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). It’s an inherited red blood cell disorder that causes red blood cells to become hard, sticky and sickle-shaped, rather than round and flexible. This makes it difficult for the cells [read more...]

Dan

For nearly 14 years, Dan has been dedicated to saving lives by donating blood. To date, he has donated 12 gallons of whole blood. “It makes a difference and is actually a fairly relaxing thing to do. And it’s for [read more...]

Eli

Hockey. It’s a tough sport. A game of mental and physical strength. It takes years of practice, hours on the ice and a lot of determination and passion. It’s a sport for relentless athletes full of tenacity and vigor. For [read more...]

Sharon

“It’s just that feeling of giving back, I love that feeling.”

Amy

Blood donors are a loyal bunch. They’re committed. Dedicated. They don’t let more than 8 or so weeks go by without stopping in for a donation. It’s about selfless giving. The idea of helping someone you may never meet. That [read more...]

Denise

“I couldn’t even tell you how many transfusions of red cells and platelets I got,” said Denise. Like many cancer patients, transfusions were a regular part of Denise’s treatment plan after she was diagnosed with a blood cancer known as [read more...]

Brian

A firefighter in Chicago, Brian has dedicated much of his life to saving lives. As a first responder, he is often on the frontlines helping those in need. His life-saving efforts don’t end when he clocks out for the day, [read more...]

Hollie and Dawn

What leads a person to donate blood? More specifically, what leads a lapsed donor to find a blood drive or make an appointment after several years away? In the case of Dawn of Appleton, the decision was simple.

Jack

It’s not uncommon to hear, “but I don’t really like needles and I’m also not great with seeing blood,” during a blood donation. Needles aren’t for everyone and blood can make anyone just a little squeamish. But, that’s exactly what [read more...]

Ray

We’d like to introduce you to Ray, a Vietnam Veteran and committed blood donor. After spending 14 months serving in Vietnam, Ray returned to the United States in May 1970. When he got home, he started donating blood. “The least [read more...]

Nicole

Your heart, an essential organ in your body, works hard to keep you alive. But what happens when it stops working? As Nicole describes, life turns upside down and the hope for a heart transplant sets in quickly. Nicole’s journey [read more...]

Sam

Sam is a CBC scholarship recipient and Gallon Grad scholar. His inspiration for blood donation came shortly after his grandfather was in a severe car accident and required many surgeries with donated blood.

Kelvin

After battling intense stomach pains, trips to various hospitals and several doctors, Kelvin finally received a diagnosis from the doctors at Swedish American Hospital. At 25-years-old, Kelvin had congestive heart failure. “How is this possible?” Kelvin remembers asking himself. DONATE [read more...]

Jason

“The question isn’t why should I donate. The question is why wouldn’t I? It’s so easy and means so much to somebody else,” said Jason. He walked into The Community Blood Center (CBC) in Appleton all smiles, ready to donate [read more...]

Robin

“One day, I just didn’t feel myself. I couldn’t pinpoint it. I just didn’t feel myself.” Like many, Robin not feeling herself ended up as a positive case of COVID-19. She started to get the chills, going from hot to [read more...]

Grace

Grace is a CBC scholarship recipient and Gallon Grad scholar. Her inspiration for blood donation came when she saw students donating blood at her high school and thought it would be a fulfilling way to help the community.

Brad

It was the fall of 2006, and Brad was trying his best to enjoy his freshman year at UW-Oshkosh. For all his effort, though, he had a problem. Brad was trying to stay active, and although he played multiple sports [read more...]

Jerry

Some people put their heart and soul – their everything – into helping others. Well, we’d like to introduce you to one of them: Jerry. If his photo looks familiar, it could be because you’ve sat next to him out [read more...]

Quintin & Beth

We often speak of the connection that exists between blood donors and blood recipients; the mission to “Connect Lives, Share Life,” after all, is at the heart of The Community Blood Center. In the case of Quintin and his mother, [read more...]

Warren

Warren saw the need for blood first-hand at a young age and has been dedicated to giving back ever since. Warren’s passion extends through his family, who are all blood donors, too. Watch Warren’s video to hear the story of [read more...]