June 27, 2006
Rhode Island resident makes 500th blood platelet donation at Dana-Farber
Leonard "Lenny" B. MacLean of Riverside, R.I., reached an outstanding milestone in June when he made his 500th blood platelet donation at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
MacLean, who has been giving platelets at Dana-Farber since 1984, drives an hour to the Kraft Donor Center every other Saturday to make his donation. He said he was first inspired to donate by his mother-in-law's battle with cancer, and he continues today because it's a habit that makes him feel good.
"My wife and I went in one day to see my mother-in-law and she looked really bad," said MacLean. "The doctor told us to come back in an hour because they had to give her some blood platelets, and when we came back she looked like a completely new women. I went right down to the donor center after that, and that was the first day I donated."
Platelets are clotting agents of the blood, which are vital to individuals fighting cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, patients undergoing chemotherapy, recipients of organ transplants, and those who suffer loss of blood during surgery. Last year, Dana-Farber collected 5,547 bags of platelets from 664 donors.
MacLean plans to continue donating platelets and hopes to someday catch up with donors who have already reached the 700 mark.
"Lenny's commitment to donating this priceless resource helps so many patients find new hope," said Andrea Berman, supervisor of donor recruitment at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center. "The dedication of donors like Lenny is invaluable in aiding Dana-Farber with its mission to provide expert and compassionate care to children and adults with cancer."
MacLean is an academic counselor at Johnson & Wales University. He lives in Riverside with his wife, Brenda. They have one child and two grandchildren.
The need for platelets is constant, especially since they have a shelf life of only five days. Platelet donation consists of the withdrawal of blood from one arm into a cell separation machine, where platelets are collected. One donation of platelets is a 90-minute process. To learn about platelet donation call (617) 632-3660 or visit www.dana-farber.org/platelets.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, a federally designated Center for AIDS Research, and a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a federally designated comprehensive cancer center.
Media contact: Jennifer Gundersen, (617) 632-4090
