This week’s brave and generous #VersitiBeaconClub honoree Frank Briones has multiple reasons for donating blood 16 times (and counting). “I know how important it is to donate,” says Frank. “I am a cancer survivor, and we lost our little son Pax (stillborn). The blood needed in our military is also extremely important, and me being O-, I always wore a special patch to show the corpsman and combat lifesavers that I had the universal blood type. My wife is also O-, and therefore our children are also O-. So, I like to think of my family as a special lifesaving unit.” Learn more about becoming a #BeaconOfHope: http://bit.ly/39FAS9T

People need platelets – especially childhood cancer patients. Consider making a platelet donation today: bitly.versiti.org/3gMTSHg

Did you know: 1 in 16,300 Hispanic individuals is born with sickle cell disease. For some patients, the best hope of survival is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Those without a direct match in their family turn to the Be The Match registry for help. Learn more about registering as a bone marrow and stem cell donor: join.bethematch.org/versiti #BeTheMatch #HispanicHeritageMonth #SickleCellAwareness #sicklecell

1 out of every 16,000 Hispanic-American children are born with sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disease that causes extreme pain. Donate at a Sickle Cell Awareness Month blood drive in September to help these patients thrive: bitly.versiti.org/3h4XG6d

Not much is known about receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs), which are proteins found on the surfaces of cells. Versiti Blood Research Institute Investigator Jieqing Zhu, PhD, was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study these proteins and understand their roles in diseases like blood clots and cancer, with the ultimate goal of developing better treatments. #VersitiResearch

Even before her first-ever donation, #VersitiBeaconClub honoree and 98-time donor Shirlyn Bravata understood how invaluable it is to give back to one’s community. Shirlyn reflects on a lifetime of giving: “My mother taught us at a very young age you’re never too poor to give. While she was a single mother with 6 children, she made time to donate blood. I too have carried on the tradition. While you may not have money to donate to charity, you can give blood, which is priceless!” Thank you for donating – and inspiring others to donate! Learn more about becoming a #BeaconOfHope: http://bit.ly/39FAS9T

Rockin’ that new tattoo or piercing? In the past, if yours was done at a shop that isn’t licensed by the state, you were required to wait 12 months before donating blood. The FDA recently changed some of its eligibility guidelines, and you’re now eligible to donate after 3 months. Donors who had their tattoo or piercing done at a state-licensed facility still have no deferral time. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2Se4Skx

Reminder: Sickle cell patients rely on blood donations. Learn more about the need for ethnically diverse blood donors and how you can help save lives at an upcoming Ask Me Anything Blood Donor Webinar on 10/13, 5-6 p.m. CDT. Sign up: bitly.versiti.org/33dSSbd

Did you know: Every year, more than 1 million life-enhancing tissue transplants are performed in the U.S. We encourage members of the Hispanic community to join the organ and tissue donor registry today: donatelife.net #HispanicHeritageMonth #MissionMoment

We’re here for you. Live chat on versiti.org lets you connect with us on your mobile device or computer and get answers from our customer service experts wherever you are. Click to get started: bitly.versiti.org/3igQPIm

As an inventory analyst, Avery Black tracks blood and identifies issues our partner hospitals might have when they need red blood cells, platelets or frozen blood products. “Most people outside healthcare laugh or are confused when I say my job is ‘managing blood inventory,’” he says. “It’s a very diverse and rewarding role. I get to work with many different people and departments every day.” #MissionMoment #VersitiLife #MeetTheTeam

100 donations = 100s of lives saved = 1 amazing hero. Congrats and thanks to Gordon (Chuck) Howley, who celebrated his 100th donation with the Versiti team in Saginaw, MI, on Oct. 2. Here’s to 100 more!

Our donors are a #BeaconOfHope for Michigan patients in need. Thank you so much for your lifesaving gifts ❤️❤️❤️ #Repost @ptolemystoned with @make_repost ・・・ Donating blood! 🩸❤️

During the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the ‘80s, homosexual men were permanently deferred from donating blood—until 2014, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a 1-year deferral, thanks in part to Versiti Blood Research Institute. Earlier this year, the FDA reduced the deferral period to 3 months; learn more about how Versiti has helped to affect change on a higher level: https://bitly.versiti.org/3izISgH #VersitiResearch

This month, #VersitiBeaconClub highlights Spectrum Health's Debi Foote for her selfless dedication and lifesaving generosity. Together with other Spectrum Health team members, she helped collect 343 units of blood in 2019 – a huge increase from when she first started hosting. “I work in the blood bank at Butterworth Hospital and I see exactly how many blood products that we use,” Debi says. “I realized something needed to be done.” Learn more: http://bit.ly/2HvvyKj #CommunityBeaconOfHope.

DYK: 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, but less than 10% do so annually. Versiti invites donors of all ethnicities to donate blood. The more units of blood on hand from diverse donors, the more patients we are able to serve. Learn more: https://www.versiti.org/advocatingfordonation

This Halloween, be the ghost with the most – oops, we mean, host with the most! Host a blood drive at your work, school or place of worship and help us save more lives! Learn more: bitly.versiti.org/31ZJzLR

Versiti’s volunteer teams in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin help us continue our lifesaving mission. We truly couldn’t do it without these selfless individuals. Learn more about joining your local Versiti volunteer team: Versiti.org/volunteer #mdday #makeadifferenceday #volunteer

When you cut yourself, your platelets activate and clump together to stop the bleeding. Versiti Blood Research Institute Associate Investigator Shawn Jobe, MD, PhD, is interested in learning more about what happens to platelets after they’ve done their job and how their life cycle affects human health. Learn more: https://bitly.versiti.org/3f9AaG9 #VersitiResearch

This week’s #VersitiBeaconClub honoree, Jessica Hanna, regularly donates her rare blood because she has learned how vital it is for the patients who need it. Her loved ones’ experiences have also taught her the importance of donating bone marrow. “I never understood how deep the need for blood was until I had to watch my sister laying in a hospital bed, waiting for blood,” says Jessica. “Only a few weeks later, a friend was diagnosed with leukemia. I immediately registered with Be The Match for their bone marrow registry.” Learn more about becoming a #BeaconOfHope: http://bit.ly/39FAS9T

Free socks for stepping up. Rush in to give blood at Versiti centers and select mobiles by 11/30 and go home with socks in your team’s colors, while supplies last. Schedule now: bitly.versiti.org/3fl7VU2

Pull up A Seat at the Table on 11/24: https://bitly.versiti.org/3843AUt The talk moderated by Pastor Christopher Boston of Lamb of God Missionary Baptist Church focuses on organ/tissue donation & health disparities faced by African Americans. A Question of Faith producer Angela White will add comments. Sign up!

As it get colder, flu season ramps up. Blood donors are urgently needed to treat local patients. Help save lives in our community, give blood today: bitly.versiti.org/3gMTSHg

DYK: Organ transplants have a higher likelihood of success when they are matched between donors and patients of the same racial and ethnic background. Join the organ and tissue donor registry today: donatelife.net #naheritage #nativeamericanheritagemonth

Approximately 110,000 people across the U.S. are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Patients from communities of color make up 60% of the national waiting list, but only 30% of registered donors in Wisconsin identify as people of color. Help bridge the gap by registering as an organ and tissue donor: donatelife.net #DonateLife #BridgetheGap #organdonation #tissuedonation

Versiti Blood Research Institute Senior Investigator Karin Hoffmeister, MD, was recently awarded more than $12 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how carbohydrates, including glycosaminoglycans, affect diseases of the bone marrow, including myeloproliferative neoplasms and myelodysplastic syndrome. This information will lead to further understanding of these diseases and help inform better treatments and even cures. Learn more: http://bitly.versiti.org/36BFU8A #VersitiResearch #NIH #NationalInstitutesofHealth #WomenInScience

Giving warms the heart – and this fashionable, versatile performance gaiter warms your face! Donate at our centers and select mobile drives this month to get yours (while supplies last). Schedule now: https://bitly.versiti.org/2WeXaLH Then share a pic of you in your gaiter!

It’s #BigGame day, a day to commit to host a blood drive and see how many donors sign up! (That’s what everyone’s talking about, right?) 🏈 The winners will be the local patients whose lives you’ll help save. Learn more: https://bitly.versiti.org/3eE5kVQ

Mitch was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when he was 10 years old and received 37 blood and platelet transfusions as he went into remission. However, when his cancer returned, it was a bone marrow transplant that saved his life. Thanks to a generous donor, Mitch is cancer-free and making the most of his second chance. Give patients like Mitch hope by joining the Be The Match bone marrow donor registry: join.bethematch.org/versiti #leukemia #bonemarrow #BeTheMatch

People need platelets. Donate platelets today to give patients battling leukemia and other cancers hope: https://bitly.versiti.org/2WeXaLH 💪 #StrongerTogether