Losing 60 pints of blood could kill you six times over. But spreading that loss out over 10 years has not only kept two Cayuga County citizens healthy, it has saved 180 lives.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Livia Falcicchio, who was named a Donor of the Decade by the Cayuga County Red Cross Chapter, stands with her quilts and memorabilia on display at the Cayuga County Museum in Auburn.
Livia Falcicchio, who was named a Donor of the Decade by the Cayuga County Red Cross Chapter, stands with her quilts and memorabilia on display at the Cayuga County Museum in Auburn.
For this feat of generosity, Livia Falcicchio of Auburn and Stephen Anderson of Locke were recently named Donors of the Decade by the Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the New York/Penn Blood Region. Both donors have given blood six times each year from 1997 to 2007.
Their donations come as the Red Cross suffers from worldwide blood shortages.
“There's always a shortage, because we never know what the need will be,” said Susan Marteney, executive director of the Cayuga County Chapter of the Red Cross.
The undying generosity of donors like Falcicchio and Anderson has contributed to a donation rate in Cayuga County that doubles the national average. Across the country, roughly four percent of people who can give blood actually do so. Marteney has no simple explanation for the 8 percent of Cayuga County citizens who donate.
“We're good people here; we're considered a very active and dedicated blood donation county,” she said.
Marteney attributes the high rate of donation to the local Red Cross chapter's efforts to ease the process by which people give blood.
“We've made an effort to have convenient drives at convenient locations and to publicize them with the local papers,” she said.
Falcicchio, 85, has helped the Red Cross make its drives more accessible in addition to regularly donating her own blood. The 56-day period that must pass between donations doesn't restrict her from working at drives and helping other donors through the process.
“She's crazy for blood, a very unique individual,” Marteney said. “She's kind of our poster child for all blood donors.”
Since May 13, 1943, Falcicchio has graciously given 187 pints of her blood to save approximately 561 lives. She has collected countless Red Cross T-shirts that her daughter, Linda Littlejohn, has since converted into quilts. Falcicchio's 23-gallon donation pin dangles from a locket she wears around her neck.
Her first pint was drawn in the Pentagon Building, where she worked in the Transportation Corps of what was then known as the War Department.
“We were having a contest between our offices, and I think everyone gave then,” Falcicchio said. “Then I continued, and I'm still going.”
Another donor working in Washington at the time was Falcicchio's future husband, Nicola, who wouldn't quite meet the donation quota set by his wife over their 61 years of marriage.
“I gave once, and they almost had to put it back in,” he said.
Because of his anemia, Nicola required an iron supplement to soothe the adverse reaction caused by his blood loss. Such a disorder demonstrates to donors like Livia the importance of blood being available to those who need it.
That need is currently heightened like no other time in history. The Red Cross has typically maintained between two and three weeks worth of blood supplies, but that time span has shrunk to one or two days in recent years.
“When I donate, it's used immediately,” Livia said.
With a type of O positive, Livia is also a universal donor. People of all blood types benefit from her positive attitude toward donating.
“It just feels great giving blood,” Livia said.
The blood given by Livia and all other Cayuga County donors could be used in transfusions as far away as Buffalo or Binghamton. All donations are taken to a processing center in Henrietta, where the blood may be broken up into its components - red and white blood cells and platelets - or stored without alteration. Supplies are then placed in cold storage.
“It's kind of like the frozen foods section of a Wegmans grocery store,” Marteney said.
With such a wide area eligible to receive the blood given in Cayuga County, the imperative to donate strengthens.
“There could be a huge accident in the area and all of a sudden we need blood in Rochester or Binghamton,” Marteney said.
The contributions of donors like Anderson and Falcicchio are honorable in their own right, but they amount to drops in an ocean otherwise too shallow. Marteney hopes more than the current 8 percent of regular donors in Cayuga County will realize how little is required of them to raise its level.
“When people realize it only takes an hour to save three people's lives,” Marteney said, “that's a pretty minimal inconvenience.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
Donor eligibility
€ To give blood, a donor must be healthy, at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days).
€ “Healthy” means that a donor feels well and can perform normal
activities. If a donor has a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, “healthy” also means that they are being treated and the condition is under control. Other aspects of each potential donor's health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood count (hemoglobin or hematocrit) are measured.
€ A donor must be at least 17 years old to donate due to state law. There is
no upper age limit for blood donation as long as the donor is well with no restrictions or limitations to their activities.
€ A donor must weigh at least 110 pounds to be eligible for blood donation for their own safety. Blood volume is in proportion to body weight. Donors who weight less than 110 pounds may not tolerate the removal of the required volume of blood as well as those who weigh more than 110 pounds. There is no upper weight limit as long as one's weight is not higher than the weight limit of the donor bed/lounge they are using. Any upper weight limitations of beds and lounges may be discussed with the local health historian.
€ If a donor has a tattoo, because only a few states currently regulate tattoo
facilities, most donors with tattoos must wait 12 months after tattoo application before donating blood. Each particular situation should be discussed with the health historian at the time of donation.
Their donations come as the Red Cross suffers from worldwide blood shortages.
“There's always a shortage, because we never know what the need will be,” said Susan Marteney, executive director of the Cayuga County Chapter of the Red Cross.
The undying generosity of donors like Falcicchio and Anderson has contributed to a donation rate in Cayuga County that doubles the national average. Across the country, roughly four percent of people who can give blood actually do so. Marteney has no simple explanation for the 8 percent of Cayuga County citizens who donate.
“We're good people here; we're considered a very active and dedicated blood donation county,” she said.
Marteney attributes the high rate of donation to the local Red Cross chapter's efforts to ease the process by which people give blood.
“We've made an effort to have convenient drives at convenient locations and to publicize them with the local papers,” she said.
Falcicchio, 85, has helped the Red Cross make its drives more accessible in addition to regularly donating her own blood. The 56-day period that must pass between donations doesn't restrict her from working at drives and helping other donors through the process.
“She's crazy for blood, a very unique individual,” Marteney said. “She's kind of our poster child for all blood donors.”
Since May 13, 1943, Falcicchio has graciously given 187 pints of her blood to save approximately 561 lives. She has collected countless Red Cross T-shirts that her daughter, Linda Littlejohn, has since converted into quilts. Falcicchio's 23-gallon donation pin dangles from a locket she wears around her neck.
Her first pint was drawn in the Pentagon Building, where she worked in the Transportation Corps of what was then known as the War Department.
“We were having a contest between our offices, and I think everyone gave then,” Falcicchio said. “Then I continued, and I'm still going.”
Another donor working in Washington at the time was Falcicchio's future husband, Nicola, who wouldn't quite meet the donation quota set by his wife over their 61 years of marriage.
“I gave once, and they almost had to put it back in,” he said.
Because of his anemia, Nicola required an iron supplement to soothe the adverse reaction caused by his blood loss. Such a disorder demonstrates to donors like Livia the importance of blood being available to those who need it.
That need is currently heightened like no other time in history. The Red Cross has typically maintained between two and three weeks worth of blood supplies, but that time span has shrunk to one or two days in recent years.
“When I donate, it's used immediately,” Livia said.
With a type of O positive, Livia is also a universal donor. People of all blood types benefit from her positive attitude toward donating.
“It just feels great giving blood,” Livia said.
The blood given by Livia and all other Cayuga County donors could be used in transfusions as far away as Buffalo or Binghamton. All donations are taken to a processing center in Henrietta, where the blood may be broken up into its components - red and white blood cells and platelets - or stored without alteration. Supplies are then placed in cold storage.
“It's kind of like the frozen foods section of a Wegmans grocery store,” Marteney said.
With such a wide area eligible to receive the blood given in Cayuga County, the imperative to donate strengthens.
“There could be a huge accident in the area and all of a sudden we need blood in Rochester or Binghamton,” Marteney said.
The contributions of donors like Anderson and Falcicchio are honorable in their own right, but they amount to drops in an ocean otherwise too shallow. Marteney hopes more than the current 8 percent of regular donors in Cayuga County will realize how little is required of them to raise its level.
“When people realize it only takes an hour to save three people's lives,” Marteney said, “that's a pretty minimal inconvenience.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
Donor eligibility
€ To give blood, a donor must be healthy, at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days).
€ “Healthy” means that a donor feels well and can perform normal
activities. If a donor has a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, “healthy” also means that they are being treated and the condition is under control. Other aspects of each potential donor's health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood count (hemoglobin or hematocrit) are measured.
€ A donor must be at least 17 years old to donate due to state law. There is
no upper age limit for blood donation as long as the donor is well with no restrictions or limitations to their activities.
€ A donor must weigh at least 110 pounds to be eligible for blood donation for their own safety. Blood volume is in proportion to body weight. Donors who weight less than 110 pounds may not tolerate the removal of the required volume of blood as well as those who weigh more than 110 pounds. There is no upper weight limit as long as one's weight is not higher than the weight limit of the donor bed/lounge they are using. Any upper weight limitations of beds and lounges may be discussed with the local health historian.
€ If a donor has a tattoo, because only a few states currently regulate tattoo
facilities, most donors with tattoos must wait 12 months after tattoo application before donating blood. Each particular situation should be discussed with the health historian at the time of donation.
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are 1 comment(s)
Good story wrote on Apr 24, 2007 9:38 PM: