Bloodworks 101

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Bloodworks' regional transportation manager Kyle McDaniel biked his way into a career and a fresh mindset. Learn how one fateful rainy Seattle day delivering blood on the Burke Gilman Trail changed Kyle's life forever. Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Experts tell us that on January 18th, 2023, Bloodworks Northwest could have access to as many as one thousand new donors in the Pacific Northwest simply because an FDA deferral is being lifted. As Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager tells us, that's because new evidence has led the FDA to remove the deferral requirement associated wi...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message As a New Year begins, Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager spent a few virtual moments with Curt Bailey, Bloodworks Northwest's President and CEO to take a look ahead to 2023 and the challenges facing Bloodworks. As John found out, time was on Bailey's mind, and specifically, the time it'll take the organization to fully rec...

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 Sunday, December 18th, 2017 is a day many people in the Pacific Northwest will never forget, at least not if Bloodworks Northwest's Juan Cotto has his way. That's the date of the tragic Amtrak 501 derailment near DuPont, Washington that killed three, injured dozens and impacted thousands trying to drive between Seattle and Portl...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It can sometimes be a challenge to find two people with the same blood type. It's even harder to find two people with the same HLA type, but this is critical when evaluating organ transplants. Learn how Bloodworks' labs ensure that each lifesaving transplant is a good match.  Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message To describe Marshall Hugh as the front man for Seattle's Marshall Law Band only scratches the surface. Marshall is not only a talented musician and songwriter but he's a strong proponent for positive change in our community. He's also an enthusiastic advocate for Bloodworks Northwest and the cause of blood donation. Why? We...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message If you love music and you listen to Seattle's KEXP, you probably know who Cheryl Waters is. As an announcer at KEXP, Cheryl has been part of Seattle's musical landscape for more than 20 years. Because of live performances and interviews on YouTube, which she's hosted, she also has a following of music lovers all over the wo...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Perhaps you've seen it on Tumblr, Reddit, or Know Your Meme: a photo of one of Bloodworks' old donation buses, zoomed in a few times, with a darkly funny caption. It came out in 2016 but still resurfaces today. We talked with meme creator Isaac Marion (who, by the way, is also a best-selling author) to get the story.  The meme:...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message What if we could prevent a $6 billion medical problem impacting thousands of Americans? A groundbreaking collaboration between cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Lindner and Bloodworks Research Institute could play a critical role in understanding heart valve disease. We talked with Jonathan about this work and how science benefits from teamwork a...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Ask anyone who's ever dealt with a "cancer mom" and they'll tell you that they're tough as nails and never want to hear the odds. They'll also tell you that donating blood is huge. That's the message that Christine O'Connell and her "cancer moms" are spreading right now because September i...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Recently-four-year-old Greyson Ouellette wasn’t even born yet when his parents, Sarah and Brian, found out he had a heart defect. At her 20-week full anatomy scan, Sarah’s care team determined that the ventricle of Greyson’s heart was already significantly smaller than normal size, meaning that he would be born with Single Ventricle Disea...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Many of us connect with loved ones over dinner, drinks, or backyard barbeques. Not this local group of friends: for over 40 years, they've come together to catch up while donating blood. Now it's down to the final four: Bob, Sue, Guy, and Al, who tell the story of this remarkable friendship in their own words.  Read more: https:...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message We first shared Elisa Barston’s story last year as part of our Music’s in our Blood campaign, which connected with more than ten thousand new and re-engaged blood donors. Music’s back, and this time around we’ve doubled that goal: we’re hoping to hit 20,000 donors. Elisa’s reason for donating is just as relevant as ever – she made her mos...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Bloodworks supports essential healthcare in all its forms. Reliable access to safe, medical abortion is a public health issue. As the transfusion experts in our region, we are concerned with the potential for dangerous outcomes, including bleeding and death, when pregnant individuals are left without safe and timely access to abortion. Dr...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Ever heard of a lactaided ringer? Do you know the difference between blunt and pentrating trauma? Today, in Part Two of our special Bloodworks 101 series entitled, "Transfusions in the Field,"  Lieutenant Michael Barokas, a Medical Services Officer for Seattle's Medic One will answer those questions as we take you behind-th...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Ever wonder what happens to your blood once you donate? Well, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, sometimes it goes to the front line where seconds count in the battle between life and death. Today, in the first of a special two-part series about Transfusions in the Field, you'll meet Dr. Michael Sayre from Seattle&apos...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Recently-four-year-old Greyson Ouellette wasn’t even born yet when his parents, Sarah and Brian, found out he had a heart defect. At her 20-week full anatomy scan, Sarah’s care team determined that the ventricle of Greyson’s heart was already significantly smaller than normal size, meaning that he would be born with Single Ventricle Disea...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Everyone has a reason to walk into a blood donation center and donate. For Seattle's Sharelle Klaus, the founder of DRY Soda, it all started with a conversation she had with her good friend, Mark Dyce. But now Sharelle's on a mission because after that conversation her reason to donate blood became personal. Here's the late...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message  When our communities need help, "restaurants just show up," according to famed Seattle-area Chef Ethan Stowell. In this episode of Bloodworks 101, producer John Yeager sat down with Ethan as Bloodworks wrapped up its "Savor Life. Save a Life." blood donation awareness campaign and, as you'll hear in this episode,...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Seattle resident Randy Small had his first heart attack at just 29. After growing up witnessing his mother struggle with heart disease, he wasn't surprised when he, too, was diagnosed. "That began the long, slow slide to transplant," he says. But then he got a phone call that changed everything, gave him a new family, and t...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message What have you been binge watching during the pandemic? We all have our favorites and why we love them. Seattle's Jill Gallagher has a reason why she's binging and it's literally saving lives. Producer John Yeager explains on this edition of Bloodworks 101.   Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It's 2009 and Vashon Island's Amanda Kelly is in the fight for her life with a flesh-eating bacterium. To this day, no one knows how she got it. Amanda spent weeks in the hospital. She was given last rites. All seemed lost. But thanks in part to transfused blood from Bloodworks Northwest donors, today Amanda Kelly is a mother of...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message French-born Chef Thierry Rautureau has been a pillar of the Seattle culinary for decades as the visionary of such seminal restaurants as Rover's Loulay, and Luc. When we approached him to join our Culinary Coalition in support of blood donation, he eagerly agreed and said in his interview with Bill Harper, "without blood, there...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message At age 30, Elaine Sonntag Johnson was loving her career as a family therapist, blissfully married, and eager to start a family. But following blood tests from her OB/GYN, she was diagnosed with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (or PNH for short) and given just 3-5 years to live. In an ode to Mothers' Day and moms everywhere, this...