From ‘little town of North Star’ to 100th donation

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DAYTON, Ohio – Kettering donor Eileen McBride grew up in what she calls her “little town of North Star” in the far reaches of Darke County. It was there she learned that donating blood was a way for neighbors to help neighbors, and that inspired her to reach her milestone 100th lifetime donation Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Dayton Community Blood Center.

Eileen s husband Phil is also a blood donor. She retired from the Northridge Local Schools system in 2010. “I taught at Northridge Middle School,” she said. “I taught special education for 31 of my 36 years. I used to stop by the blood center to donate on my way home.”

But the journey to her milestone donation began in North Star. “I know why I started,” she said. “I think I was in college. The mobile unit came up to my little town of North Star in Darke County. It was a blood drive for the two Kremer boys who were both hemophiliacs.”

Dan and Kevin Kremer are the sons of Carl and Carolyn Kremer. Carl has passed away, but Carolyn continues to support CBC blood drives. Carolyn can recall the many emergency trips to Dayton in the middle of the night to control bleeding episodes with plasma transfusions. The boys benefitted greatly from community support and advances in blood science, including the 1965 discovery of cryoprecipitate and its improved clotting power. They are doing well today.

“I ended up being able to give,” Eileen said about her donation for the Kremer boys. “I kept giving at college, Ohio University. I think I passed out once!”

On the day of her 100th donation milestone Eileen also applied to become CBC volunteer. She will be noticed as an ambassador for CBC every time she wears her new CBC “Donor for Life – 100 LTD” jacket. But she wants to do more.

“In the first five years after I retired I got everything done around the house I planned to do,” she said. “I’m looking for a place to volunteer!”

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Eileen McBride reaches milestone on donor for life journey

Staff report

Connect with Community Blood Center for the latest information and services at www.GivingBlood.org. Get fast and complete answers on how to make your first donation, organize a blood drive, or bring our education program to your school. Get all the updates in the CBC/CTS newsroom, find quick links to our social media pages, or schedule your next appointment to donate by connecting to www.DonorTime.com.

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