Photo By Donna Onwona | ASBP Blood Recruiter Donna Onwona made her 100th blood donation on March 9, 2022. Her...... read more read more
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Donna Onwona, ASBP (Armed Services Blood Program) blood donor recruiter at Armed Services Blood Bank Center – National Capital Region, Bethesda, Maryland, recently gave her 100th blood donation with the ASBP on March 9, 2022.
“Reaching 100 donations takes commitment. Congratulations to Donna on helping to support the warfighter and their families in need with so many crucial donations!” said Army Col. Audra Taylor, ASBP division chief.
Onwona has a connection with and understanding for the need for blood. She was originally inspired to begin donating blood in 2004 after her husband was in the Intensive Care Unit for 10 days, requiring 22 units of red cells, platelets, and plasma. Realizing he would have died without those blood transfusions, Onwona found her calling and decided to switch careers.
“At the time I had a career in business development but after his recovery, I decided that I wanted to do something more gratifying that would help others,” explained Onwona. “I spoke to a person I knew at a local civilian blood collection agency that I had coordinated blood drives with at my previous job. My background and passion were a perfect fit for a position they had open at the time in the donor recruitment field and was offered a position.”
That transition was the start of her now 17-year-long career in blood donor recruitment, nine of those years with the ASBP. Not only did she find a new calling and a new line of work but she also began donating regularly as well. Onwona explained another motivating factor for her to donate throughout her career stating that “as a recruiter who was fortunately healthy enough to donate, [she] believed [that she] should ‘walk the talk’ and lead by example.”
After those initial nine years with a civilian blood agency, Onwona decided to join the ASBP once the right position opened up because she understood “that this was the position that I wanted because this was my way to serve the military.” She recognized the need for blood is constant for troops downrange and patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir, like all locations. She felt it was “the least I can do to support as a civilian employee.”
When asked if she plans on continuing to donate now that she’s reached this centennial milestone, Onwona stated “I will continue to donate until I no longer can! 74 of my donations are platelets and whole blood with the ASBP, so 80 donations (10 gallons) with the ASBP is my next goal and I’m not far from that, but I will also not stop at that. I also know that as a recruiter, my work has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and that keeps me motivated.”
After donating whole blood and platelets many times over, she has some advice to share for those considering donating blood for the first time.
“It is something that is really so easy to do; just do it. If it’s your first time and you’re afraid, bring a friend along to donate with you and let the staff know it’s your first time. You will feel great walking away knowing that your donation helped save the life of someone who otherwise might not make it home without your donation.”
When preparing for a donation she has some great advice, suggesting that donors should make sure to have a well-rounded breakfast or full meal the day of donation and drink tons of water beforehand to help with hydration. Onwona likes to eat a lot of leafy greens the days before to help ensure that her iron (hemoglobin) is high enough. Doing these things can make the donation process go much smoother, she has found in her experience as both a recruiter helping donors and as a donor herself.
She also has a great post donation routine of treating herself to something fun to eat later that day and “I also go online and make my next appointment for 56 days out from that day to keep myself on track.”
Donors that give blood on a routine basis provide a reliable foundation which ensures the ASBP can continue to provide high quality blood products. Donating blood with ASBP is a mission critical action and supports a ready medical force, assisting all service members, their families, retirees and veterans worldwide.
Taylor emphasizes how important repeat donors are. “It’s dedicated donors like Donna that are the ‘heart of our program’; committed to taking the time to help save lives.”
To schedule your first (or repeat) blood donation and begin a lifesaving journey like Onwona, visit https://www.militarydonor.com/.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2022 08:44 |
| Story ID: | 418874 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 153 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter Celebrates 100th Blood Donation, by Jonathan Davis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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