Blog of Bloodworks Northwest



Bloodworks First Person: "My mom inspires my work"

Welcome to Bloodworks First Person, a series profiling Bloodworks Northwest employees, volunteers and donors. Devon Steinbacher is a Bloodworks Cord Blood Laboratory Operations Specialist, donor and volunteer. Keep reading to learn a trick for platelet donors Devon picked up as a phlebotomist and the reason she included Bloodworks in her estate plan.

Name: Devon Steinbacher
Bloodworks Employee Since: 2013
Role: Cord Blood Laboratory Operations Specialist

My first Bloodworks job was…On Mobile 2 as a phlebotomist out of Georgetown (Seattle). Now I work as a Laboratory Operations Specialist in Bloodworks’ Cord Blood Department. We support public cord blood banking and cancer patients being re-infused with their own stem cells. We also ship cord blood units to transfusion centers and hospitals worldwide, working closely with the National Marrow Donor Program.

I’ve been a blood donor…Since before I started working here. I began donating in 2010-2011, switched to platelets pretty quickly and became a Bloodworks volunteer while I was in school.

My mom…inspires me. She was diagnosed with stage three metastatic lung cancer when I was five years old and needed a lot of platelet transfusions. It was a no-brainer once I figured out how I could give back.

Something that may surprise you is…I included Bloodworks in my estate plans. I know it takes blood and money to ensure that we are able to continue our life-saving work. As a member of the Northwest community and as the daughter of someone who needed blood, I am dedicated to helping Bloodworks continue to grow and save lives.

A trick of my trade is…As a phlebotomist, figuring out donors’ favorite Tums flavors. Platelet donors sometimes have a mild tingling sensation from the anticoagulant during the donation process which can be quickly alleviated with the calcium in Tums.

The one thing I’d tell Bloodworks donors…You come in and you do this amazing thing that’s uncomfortable, but the impact that you’ve had has been so far-reaching but also close to home. It’s very likely that someone knows someone that needs blood products and without our blood donors we couldn’t survive.

My favorite post-donation snack is…Definitely Doritos. Anything salty at all.

Do you know someone who’s making a difference as a part of the Bloodworks community? Send your suggestions for future Bloodworks First Person profiles to [email protected].

March 23, 2018 9:42AM
  • Michael Keller

    I always have ice cream the night before I am donating and yogurt the morning of my donation of platelets. That pretty much eliminates the tingling sensation during the donation process.

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