Bloodworks 101

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Former Seattle Mariners catcher Dan Wilson played 12 years for the M's, making the playoffs in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001 before retiring in 2005. In 2012, Wilson was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame alongside his battery-mate, pitcher Randy Johnson. But as noteworthy as Wilson's career on the field was, it's...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Sometimes it's easy for many people to underestimate a little thing like rolling up your sleeve and donating a unit of blood. But Seattle's Paul Patu is not one of them.  That's because, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, Patu owes his life to that "little thing." And wait til you hear what the impa...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Dom Carreiro works in Bloodworks' Transfusion Service Lab at Overlake Hospital. Dom and his team are a direct link between our inventory of typed, tested blood and the patients who need it – or at least, their medical care teams. And sometimes things don't go according to plan. Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It's rare that a blood donor and a recipient get to connect but that's exactly what happens on this special ENCORE episode of Bloodworks 101 when frequent platelet donor Dan Ertel meets Mack Bell, a 30-year-old African-American man living with cerebral palsy, who contracted a potentially-deadly blood condition called aplastic an...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message If you're a blood donor, why do you donate? Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager caught up with former KING 5 news anchor and Mark Wright, who's a loyal Bloodworks Northwest donor and got a surprising answer to that question. Mark, who's also the host for the "Beats Working" podcast told John that when it comes to...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In 2016, University of Washington sociology professor and mother of two Alexes Harris was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of cancer where the blood-producing cells in a patient’s bone marrow became abnormal and create blood cells that don’t function properly. Alexes underwent chemotherapy treatment to reach remission...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Besides supplying 95% of the hospitals in the Pacific Northwest with lifesaving blood products, Bloodworks Northwest advocates for blood donation at the highest levels of state government in Oregon and Washington. With Olympia lawmakers in session this winter, Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager sat down with Bloodworks Director of Govern...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Bloodworks' Tree of Life celebrates blood donors who have given 100 or more units. Ed Schultz fell in love with the Tree of Life on visits to Bloodworks' Bellevue Donor Center, but seven years ago, it appeared he might never donate blood again. Bloodworks 101  co-producer Helen Pitlick sat down with Ed and his wife, Ellie, to ca...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Are you an "open book"? Can people tell how tired you are or what kind of day you've had just by the look in your eye?  Well, there's a young woman in North Carolina named Eseosa Evbuomwan who says that she, "does not look like what she's been through." In honor of Black History Month, producer John Yeag...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It’s Black History Month, and we’re taking a look at Sickle Cell Disease, a devastating genetic blood disorder that predominantly impacts people of African descent. Sickle cell disease is an unfortunate reality for many members of Black communities, and at Bloodworks, we’d like to make it history. Dr. Raymond Adili of Bloodworks Research...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Do you remember what you did December 6th, 2023? Did it stand out in any way? For Mark Dyce-Ryan it's a really special day he'll never forget. Because, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, that's the day Mark was finally able to save a life.  Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and later a movie directed by David Fincher, the protagonist ages backwards: he’s born an old man and dies as a baby. It’s fiction, but for some young patients, the premise is not that farfetched. What happens when kids exhibit disorders more often se...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Platelets are the part of blood that help control bleeding by collecting and clotting at the site of an injury. However, the role that platelets play in immune response is emerging and exciting, and Bloodworks Research Institute is privileged to now be home to one the most brilliant minds investigating this relationship: Dr. Li "Amil...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Did you know that the history of blood transfusion goes back four centuries? There's a lot that we don't know about blood. January is National Blood Donor Month, a time set aside to raise awareness for the cause of blood donation because typically in January, there are fewer donors after the winter holidays, even though blood is...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message As the year ends, taxable income becomes more important as you consider your 2023 income tax returns. So, it's top of mind, right? But did you know there's an easy way to donate to nonprofits like Bloodworks Northwest and get a tax deduction without all the headaches of gathering receipts? On this ENCORE EDITION of Bloodworks 10...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Washington Huskies Football defensive back Mishael Powell -- Meesh -- attended O'Dea High School, practically across the street from Bloodworks and yet a world apart. Meesh stopped by Bloodworks on December 18, State Blood Donor Day, to talk about community, football, and how to spread the word about the importance of regularly donat...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message We launched "Bloodworks 101" in January of 2020 with a story about Bloodworks Northwest blood courier, Tom Newman. The episode was entitled "Paying it Forward with Tom Newman" (S1 E1). We explored why Tom drives all over the Pacific Northwest delivering and picking up lifesaving blood products. It's vital work tha...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message On Wednesday, December 6th, 2023, gay and bisexual men will finally be able to donate blood because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has changed its guidelines regarding blood donation. It's a day Seattle's John Rubino wondered would ever come. In fact, John's history with blood donation isn't new. Bloodworks 101...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message When you come into a Bloodworks Northwest donor center are you a donor or a consumer? That's just one of the questions President & CEO Curt Bailey unpacks in this special BONUS edition of Bloodworks Northwest. As Bloodworks opens more donor centers like the one recently opened in Beaverton, Oregon, these questions take on more we...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message CW: pet illness and death. Did you know that dogs and cats can donate blood? As a Bloodworks executive, Jill Thomas never questioned that blood would be there for a loved one when they needed it. But when her beloved Boston Terrier, Leroy, had cancer surgery, she learned that, for our pets, this isn't always the case.  Dogs, cats, an...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message When you donate blood, you have no idea where your blood goes nor do you know who received it. This is a story about someone who received it. Her name is Natasha Erickson, a stay-at-home mom from the Portland area. Natasha will be on hand for the Grand Opening of our new donor center in Beaverton. Why? Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message The Armed Forces Blood Program ships blood anywhere in the world that it's needed. Dom Carreiro would know: he used to supervise the blood bank at Oak Harbor before coming to Bloodworks as a civilian. But what about platelets, which only have a 5-7 day shelf life? The Stolla Lab at Bloodworks Research Institute, led by Dr. Moritz Sto...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message This month, Bloodworks Northwest is holding it's Grand Opening of the new Bloodworks Northwest Beaverton Donor Center in the Portland area. It's been years since Bloodworks has opened a brand new brick and mortar donor center anywhere in the Portland area. There's been a lot of anticipation but as Bloodworks 101 producer Jo...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message This week, acclaimed Chef Thierry Rautureau, "The Chef in the Hat," died at age 64 from pulmonary fibrosis. Last year, Bloodworks 101 contributor Bill Harper, who's fluent in French, was able to sit down with Chef Thierry for a conversation about life and food and the importance of having enough blood on hand.  In May of 20...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Platelets -- the part of blood that helps control bleeding -- are lifesaving for cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of trauma, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery. But donated platelets have a shelf-life of only 5-7 days. What if we could extend the life of platelets? What if modern platelet...