July-August Philanthropy Update
Baby Giselle at 3 months.
Last fall, our wonderful community rallied around a tiny baby.
Born at 15 ounces, among many challenges, baby Giselle’s body could not make its own blood. Within her first month of life, she needed 7 blood transfusions. The family put out a plea asking people to donate blood … and they did. More than 550 people to date have given life through a blood donation in Giselle’s honor.
We are happy to report that after 151 days in the NICU, Giselle was released from the hospital in June and is home with her family. They recently let us know she is now over seven pounds and doing amazing. She weighs 7 lbs 13 oz’s and is a little over 19 inches long. She’s full of love, big smiles, and funny faces. And she still enjoys keeping everyone up at night!
We are often asked why having a local blood bank matters (not every community is so fortunate). While we could point to, for example, the importance of access during a national emergency, our answer is simple. Baby Giselle is our why. Creating community, connection and hope is our why.
A special thank you to everyone who donated in Giselle’s honor and to every blood donor who makes sure blood is there for every patient who needs it. There is no substitute for blood, which means there is no substitute for you.
Philanthropy is at the heart of SDBB’s mission and impacts every aspect of our mission from funding critical resources for blood transfusions to advancing research, together, we give life and hope for the thousands of patients and babies like Giselle.
We are grateful for your partnership. Thank you for your investment in life!
With gratitude,
David Wellis, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Sherry Serio
Vice President of Development
July was CORD BLOOD AWARENESS MONTH
San Diego Blood Bank is a primary cord blood provider! We collaborate with San Diego and Southern 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.
The cord blood is processed and stored at San Diego Blood Bank and is donated anonymously for the use of any patient in need of a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. Each certified cord blood unit is listed on the Be The Match Registry®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) which makes stem cells available to patients around the world for a match.
To date we have shipped 154 cord blood units for transplant.
Alejandra processing a cord blood unit in 2018.
In June 2020, San Diego Blood Bank shipped an umbilical cord blood unit that went to a 9-year-old recipient in the U.S. with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets. Being able to provide this unit is extra special to us because it demonstrates the importance of our Cord Blood Bank’s endeavor to increase the genetic diversity of the national cord blood supply. This particular unit was collected and stored in 2016.
Fun Fact: The registry that we use for matching cord blood units is Be The Match (formerly National Marrow Donor Program). NMDP conducted their first stem cell transplant in December 1987 and in December 2019, The Be The Match registry (of which SDBB is a member Cord Blood Bank) hit a milestone of 100,000 transplants facilitated. Of these 100,000 transplants (consisting of peripheral stem cells, bone marrow stem cells, and cord blood stem cells), 50,000 of them were facilitated within the last 8 years!
“The positioning of the blood bank, and the cord blood bank in particular, have really offered up an opportunity for us to leverage our current high-quality product generation not only for blood transfusion, but also cord blood transplants in ways that go beyond the standard.”
FEATURED SPONSOR
To Sycuan Casino Resort, giving back to the San Diego community is a top priority both as an organization and through its many team members. Sycuan is a dedicated partner to numerous local charities ranging from social and health services to the arts and the environment. Sycuan’s mission is simple: to improve the community in any and every way possible!
“Sycuan has been a proud supporter of the San Diego Blood Bank since 1995. For the past four consecutive years, we have partnered with the San Diego Padres and the San Diego Blood Bank for their Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive. The blood donations collected throughout the year by the San Diego Blood Bank saves thousands of lives and we are extremely grateful for all of the invaluable services that this organization provides to our entire community. We look forward to continuing this partnership for many more years to come.”
Sycuan Casino Resort began as a humble Bingo Palace in 1983. Now more than 36 years later, it has become a community landmark and one of San Diego’s premier casino and resort destinations.
In 2019, Sycuan completed a $260M expansion, which includes a 12-story luxury hotel tower with over 300 guest rooms and 57 suites. Guests can enjoy a wide range of onsite amenities including a variety of new restaurants from fast-casual to fine dining, meeting and event space, a full-service spa, fitness center and a state-of-the-art pool and gardens area with a lazy river and swim-up bar. Sycuan also boasts a newly expanded casino floor for a total of 2,500 slot machines and 54 table games in a variety of gaming options. Sycuan is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information visit www.sycuan.com
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
A Special Thank You to Chairman Greg Cox, Supervisor – District 1
In July 2020, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a $35,000 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant that will help fund two new bloodmobiles. SDBB Foundation would like to give special recognition to Chairman Greg Cox – District 1 – for his recommendation of the grant.
We are thankful to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for their approval, partnership and commitment to SDBB’s mission.
Featured Funding Priority
TWO BLOODMOBILES
One of four bloodmobiles is parked and ready at the 4th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive.
Currently, two bloodmobiles must be replaced in 2020. These buses are over 15 years old, have reached their lifespan, and will no longer meet California emissions standards in the near future.
Your generous gift will help reach our fundraising goal of $1M to fund the design and construction of two new bloodmobiles.
Impact of Bloodmobiles
Bloodmobiles are vital resources with state-of-the-art technology that help our mobile blood drives collect more than 50% of our annual blood supply. (Pre-COVID-19)
Bloodmobiles make blood donation convenient and comfortable for donors.
From 2018-19, 2,065 mobile blood drives collected more than 60,000 pints of lifesaving blood—impacting up to 180,000 lives.
One bloodmobile can collect up to 7,000 pints of blood each year.
Over the 15-year lifespan of one bloodmobile, more than 100,000 pints will be collected impacting up to 300,000 lives— times that by three and together, we can impact up to 600,000 lives.
Two new bloodmobiles are critical to maintaining the supply of blood needed for patients and will prevent the loss of 14,000 pints of blood each year.
“Without SDBB’s fleet of life-saving vehicles, our Mobile Blood Collection program would not be possible. Bloodmobiles allow us to reach more deeply into our community and connect our altruistic blood donors to patients in need of blood products to survive.
One blood donation can give up to three people the gift of a future. During the pandemic, SDBB also started collecting COVID-convalescent plasma from recovered patients, and again, a single plasma donation can treat several ill patients.
These gifts of life come full circle and give our own lives meaning when we witness the impact of patients recovering and thriving. It is the generosity of blood and financial donors, and all our community partners, that makes SDBB a cornerstone of community health in our region and beyond. ”
If you would like to make a gift or would like additional information, please contact Sherry Serio, Vice President of Development, at (619) 400-8818 or sserio@sandiegobloodbank.org.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
STEPS TO TAKE TO PROTECT YOURSELF AT WORK AND HOME
Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care, and learn what to do if you are sick.
Inform your manager if you have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 and learn what to do if someone in your home is sick.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. If your hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water over hand sanitizer. Key times for employees to clean their hands include:
Before and after work shifts
Before and after work breaks
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After using the restroom
Before eating or preparing food
After eating or preparing food
After putting on, touching, or removing cloth face coverings
Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of their elbow. Throw used tissues into no-touch trash cans and immediately wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Learn more about coughing and sneezing etiquette on the CDC website.
Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched objects and surfaces such as workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails, and doorknobs. Dirty surfaces can be cleaned with soap and water prior to disinfection. To disinfect, use products that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, and are appropriate for the surface.
Avoid using other employees’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible. Clean and disinfect them before and after use.
Clean and disinfect areas used after eating on breaks and lunches.
Practice social distancing by avoiding large gatherings and maintaining distance (at least 6 feet) from others when possible,
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.
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 Trima systems. Contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Development Manager, at cclector@sdbb.org.
HELPFUL LINKS
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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.
