Bloodworks 101

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Unless you're donating blood, it's generally supposed to be in your body. When it's not, something is often wrong. Blood, even the fake stuff you see everywhere around Halloween, evokes a primal reaction. In this episode of Bloodworks 101, we talk to Cara Elise of Georgetown Morgue, Jolene Obertin of Seattle Reparatory Thea...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message TW: Domestic Violence On October 19th, 2021, a Virtual Blood Drive begins, honoring Eugene's Caitlin (pronounced CAT-lin) Roberts and the story of a brutal attack in her own home just five days before Christmas, 2019.  Once you hear it you'll never forget it. Nor will you forget the enduring optimism she reflects as she tells he...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It's no secret that for KEXP announcer Reeves Richards, music is in his blood. He credits his father, Dr. Ken Richards with introducing him to classic rockers like AC/DC back when Reeves was just a kid, growing up. But today there's something else that Reeves gets from his dad - a deep appreciation for how important it is to giv...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message This is the story of two remarkable two women -- Henrietta Lacks and Sonya Chris Ellis -- separated by decades but immortal to those who carry on their legacies, as told by two remarkable women -- Lacks' great-granddaughter Victoria Baptiste and Bloodworks' Dr. Ashley Ellis -- the lessons their families want us all to learn from...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message You may know that cats and dogs can give blood, but what about birds of prey? Dr. Nicki Rosenhagen of PAWS in Lynnwood, WA joins Bloodworks 101 to tell the story of Bey, a bald eagle found down in West Seattle, and the golden eagle who donated blood to save her life.  An update on this hero: https://issuu.com/paws_wa/docs/minimag_08-30-21...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message We all have our reasons for donating blood that finally compel us to schedule an appointment. Whidbey Island's Natasha Vanderlinden had to overcome her significant fear of needles but as host John Yeager tells us in this episode of "Bloodworks 101," once she overcame that fear, you'll never guess what happened. Natasha...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message This is a story about a bone marrow transplant, a mother’s dying wish, a long-held family secret, and how one way to find your sister is by saving her life fourteen years before you met her for the first time. And how all those things came together from six states away in a way that even the people involved still find hard to believe. Whe...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message How did Bloodworks staff get through quarantine? Bloodworks 101's own John Yeager and Bill Harper, along with Donor Center Collections Strategist Kyle Boynton, lost themselves in the magic of movies - and, through this, found connection. Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message We throw around the expression, "It's a matter of life and death," so frequently that the words can lose their impact. However, when you talk to trauma and transplant surgeons at the University of Washington Hospital and Seattle Children's Hospital about the consequences of not having enough blood on hand for critical...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Dr. Charles Drew is known as the Father of Blood Banking.  He’s credited with saving thousands of lives during World War II after coming up with the concept of the blood bank but he resigned after a ruling that the blood of African Americans would be segregated.  Drew died in an automobile accident in April of 1950. To this day, some beli...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message We find investigators in a lot of places, mainly in movie and television crime dramas. But there is a group of dedicated investigators at the Bloodworks Research Institute in Seattle that looks into cases of life and death every day. In this edition of Bloodworks 101, host John Yeager introduces us to that group; Dr. Jose Lopez, Sumi Para...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Bloodworks has data that says a lot of potential donors don’t give because they don’t think they’re eligible.  And it’s true that many folks in the US do not meet the FDA’s strict eligibility requirements to give blood to another person. But there are opportunities for nearly everyone, regardless of FDA requirements, to make a big impact....

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It's hard enough to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. Now try to do it with a life-threatening blood disorder like Hemophilia B that can cause serious internal bleeding. That's exactly what Colorado-based mountaineer Chris Bombardier attempted to do in 2017 when he produced a documentary called, "Bombardie...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message One year ago, as the enormity of the Covid-19 pandemic began to reveal itself, the blood supply in the Pacific Northwest suddenly became perilously close to total collapse. That's one of the things that Bloodworks Northwest President and CEO remembers about what life was like here at what Bailey calls, "the epicenter of the pand...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In April of 2020, long before vaccines came on the scene, one of the most promising treatments for those suffering with the coronavirus was Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP). Back then, in some of the darkest days of the pandemic, Bloodworks Northwest started looking for those people who'd contracted Covid-19 and had enough antibodi...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Even though an aggressive form of leukemia took his life at age 6, Declan Reagan’s story is about living with cancer, not dying from it. In this episode of Bloodworks 101, his mom Lauren describes Declan’s penchant for pushing limits and breaking rules, and her determination to find a way for him to see the new Jurassic World movie that w...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In this special Women's History Month edition of "Bloodworks 101," Dr. Jill Johnsen from the Bloodworks Research Institute talks about why she thinks Covid-19 is disproportionately impacting women in science. As she tells host John Yeager,  while there has been much progress made by women in the field, there's still a...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Seattle's Mack Bell is a 30 year-old African-American man living with Cerebral Palsy. Four years ago, it didn't look like Bell was going to make it. But  today, thanks to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the support and comfort from his former high school principal as well as dozens of Bloodworks Northwest blood donors he'...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message February is Black History Month, a time set aside to recognize the accomplishments African- Americans have made in society as well as honestly face the areas where progress still needs to be made. This episode of "Bloodworks 101," recognizes the accomplishments made by our community partner, the Seattle Mariners who lead Major L...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message February is Black History Month so our own Juan Cotto spent some time talking with Oregon State Senator, James Manning, an African American leader who's made his presence felt in the lives of his constituents but also in the lives of many people he'll never know.  Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message We launched "Bloodworks 101" last January with a story about Bloodworks Northwest blood courier, Tom Newman. The episode was entitled "Paying it Forward with Tom Newman" (S1 E1). It explored why Newman drives all over the Pacific Northwest delivering and picking up lifesaving blood products. It's vital work that N...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In this encore edition of "Bloodworks 101," we'll meet Communications Specialist Bill Harper,  a gifted storyteller here at Bloodworks Northwest. But in this special encore edition of "Bloodworks 101," that ran on Independence Day, 2020, you'll find out why one of the best stories Bill tells is the one about...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Last spring, as the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning, long-time blood donor Tom Baldridge walked into the Bloodworks Northwest Donor Center in Bellingham, Washington to donate blood. He did it to help save lives during the early stages of the pandemic. But little did he know that it would change his life - in a big way.  Support the s...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Dr. Jose Lopez was recently named Chief Scientific Officer for the Seattle-based Bloodworks Research Institute. Not bad for a kid who grew up poor in the hills of New Mexico. Though Dr. Lopez faced long odds, his upbringing has helped him discover other diamonds in the rough. The net effect? Lives are saved through important research done...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) in treating those testing positive for the virus has provided a real ray of hope. Back in September, Bloodworks employee Angie Keller's mother was diagnosed with COVID-19. At 81 years old, her risk was significant. Fortunately, Angie's mom was approv...