“Water is life, we live because of it. Like water, so is blood…”
-Tanzanian Taxi Driver
We had plenty of rain while in Tanzania and Kenya. According to the local game lodge, there was more rain in June than has ever been recorded in a single month.
I gave my 105th unit of blood today!
This one was especially memorable as it was in Eldoret, Kenya, rather than in my home of Seattle. As different as this facility and experience was, I couldn’t help but note how (much like Bloodworks) this blood collection site takes great pride in its safety protocols, collection procedures, and ability to distribute this life-saving product to people who need it.
“Best-kept secrets” aren’t always a good thing, especially when you have something to crow about. For example, Bloodworks Northwest is known as the community blood center throughout Western Washington and Oregon. But what many people might not know about—my best-kept secret—is the organization’s work to bring about change in the global medical landscape.
Welcome to Bloodworks First Person, a series profiling Bloodworks Northwest employees, volunteers and donors. Dr. Rebecca Kruse-Jarre is the medical director of Bloodworks’ Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders which helps patients with hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease be healthy and independent.