April Philanthropy Update
Many in our community find themselves in difficult circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our thoughts are with you and your family as we weather this season.
We are pleased to share that we have been able to maintain a safe blood supply for our region. Hundreds of first-time donors have joined long-time donors in saving lives. SDBB remains committed to ensuring a safe blood supply for the duration of the pandemic.
This week, we began collecting convalescent plasma to help patients fight COVID-19. Plasma contains antibodies that may help patients in critical condition. We are proud to play an important role in the healthcare chain.
We value your generous support to fuel our mission of saving lives. Without you, we would not be able to provide critical resources, such as bloodmobiles, new Trima systems, and other critical equipment to ensure a robust blood supply for our community.
Enjoy April’s update. Your gift is an investment in life — we appreciate your lifesaving partnership.
With gratitude,
David Wellis, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Sherry Serio
Vice President of Development
TEAM SURVIVOR
Greg Shepard was born with an RH incompatibility. He received 9 blood transfusions during his treatment — breaking a record at that time. There were times that he stopped breathing, moments when his heart stopped, and at one point he was declared dead — but he survived because of blood transfusions.
“My mother always told me, ‘you are here for a reason.’ She told me that it was my responsibility to give back. The angels that donated blood literally saved my life — a gift that is not lost on me. I made a goal last year to donate one gallon of blood. This year, my goal is two. I will never know the people that saved me with their gift of life, but I will honor them by paying it forward.”
Helping to fight COVID-19
A message from Mark Edmunds, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, San Diego Blood Bank
I am pleased to share that San Diego Blood Bank is at the forefront of efforts to fight COVID-19. Ramping up in record time, we have begun collecting COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) donations and distributing them to physicians treating critically ill COVID-19 patients. Convalescent plasma is taken from recovered donors previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that have developed antibodies against the virus.
While CCP is considered an investigational new drug (IND) and is being administered according to various research protocols, the transfusion medicine community is hopeful that CCP will be therapeutic and potentially lifesaving. Experience with historical infectious diseases, including the Spanish flu, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS), and influenza H1N1 have shown that convalescent plasma can be a beneficial viral treatment and prophylactic medicine.
San Diego Blood Bank is partnering with local hospitals, researchers, laboratories, and the County of San Diego to get the word out to potential donors and facilitate, collecting, testing, and production of CCP to support clinicians and to rapidly get the potentially lifesaving units to those in need.
I look forward to advancing the COVID-19 treatment and research efforts of our hospital providers and offering new hope to the COVID-19 patients we serve. Our efforts place SDBB at the leading edge of transfusion medicine in the face of this pandemic.
People who have had COVID-19 can express interest in donating plasma here.
Thank you for your philanthropic partnership. Financial donors help fund lifesaving resources to make our mission a reality. Thank you!
HEALTH & WELLNESS
CDC recommendations on how to stay healthy during the pandemic. View and Download PDF
FEATURED SPONSOR
Thank you, Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation
In March 2020, the Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation awarded a $73,000 grant to support the purchase of a new LN2 freezer that will be used for long-term storage of SDBB’s public umbilical cord blood bank products. This freezer has the capacity to store approximately 6,000 cord blood units, including the 700 currently stored units.
We are grateful for Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation’s long-time partnership and commitment of SDBB's mission. Thank you!
SDBB’s Cord Blood Program
SDBB is a primary cord blood provider. We collaborate with San Diego and Southern and Northern California hospitals to collect umbilical cord blood after the birth of a healthy full-term baby. Umbilical cord stem cells provide hope for a cure and new life for patients in need of a transplant or life-threatening medical conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, immune diseases, metabolic disorders, autism, stroke, and cerebral palsy.
Featured Funding Priority
As hospitals begin increasing surgeries, mobile blood drives will most likely still be cancelled. This, coupled with the upcoming cancellation of Comic-Con and high school and college blood drives not resuming this academic year, will place a major strain on the local blood supply.
SDBB is currently in a unique situation. With the COVID-19 pandemic, and the strong response of the community in donating blood to be sure our hospitals have enough, we have a very robust supply of type O blood. In fact, our “days’ supply” is the highest it has been in the last seven years. We have an opportunity to create surge capacity, or a backup safety stock, of critical blood types.
As such, SDBB urgently needs an ACP®215 Automated Cell Processor, a lifesaving, strategic blood reserve system. Strategic blood storage is a technology that allows for freezing, thawing, and washing of red blood cells (RBCs). A frozen supply of this precious resource will provide a safety-net of blood supply for months, and years to come, for whatever our future holds. Our community will have a strong reserve for the first time ever.
We urgently need to raise $140,000 to purchase a freezer technology system that will ensure a strategic blood reserve for O and rare blood types.
Freezer Technology Blood Reserve System includes:
ACP®215 Automated Cell Processor x 1: $60,000
Sterile Welding Device x 1: $15,000
Ultra Low Freezer x 2 = $30,000
Consumables to Freeze 1000 Units x 1000 = $35,000
TOTAL COST OF EQUIPMENT = $140,000
ACP®215 Automated Cell Processor is needed for the new freezer technology.
Make a gift
MONTHLY GIVING — Did you know that you can join our Visionary Circle by making a monthly gift to help sustain SDBB for the next 70 years? Monthly gifts fund SDBB’s annual greatest need.
GIFTS OF STOCK — Did you know San Diego Blood Bank Foundation accepts appreciated gifts of stock with tax benefits for the donor? For more information on how to donate your stock, please contact Sherry Serio, Vice President of Development, at 619-400-8818 or sserio@sdbb.org.
MATCHING GIFTS — Ask your employer if your company has an employee matching program. Double your impact and encourage corporate giving to local nonprofits like SDBB.
DONATE YOUR BLOOD DONOR POINTS BACK TO SDBB — There are many ways to support SDBB’s critical needs by donating back blood donor reward points to SDBB! Your donated points will help support the critical need for freezer technology. Double your impact from the donor store at mysdbb.org.
COMMUNITY AND DIY FUNDRAISING — Partner with SDBB and fundraise with your company, team or for a special event and give back to SDBB! Donate your birthday with a Facebook fundraiser or join our SDBB Ambassador program to help crowdfund the purchase of freezer technology. Contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Development Manager at cclector@sdbb.org.
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THANK YOU TO OUR TOP SPONSORS
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
In partnership with our community, San Diego Blood Bank Foundation is the fundraising entity that supports critical resources for blood donations, advances San Diego Blood Bank’s critical healthcare role, and fuels collaboration with cutting-edge research and clinical organizations to advance cell therapy and precision medicine.
