88-year-old donates 150th gallon of blood
LEESBURG, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - OneBlood says that 88-year-old Lowell Collins from Umatilla, Florida has donated his 150th gallon of blood, reaching a milestone most people could not even imagine.
150 gallons, visualized with 30 5-gallon drums stacked in the donor center, shows how much blood he has given to date. Collins is career blood donor who has impacted the lives of hundreds of patients in our hospitals. He has saved the lives of over 3,000 people, mainly by giving platelets that are transfused to cancer patients within 5 days.
The 88-year-old has also recruited other donors to give platelets over the years. He first started donating blood in 1953 at the Eustis hospital.
Platelet donations are in constant need in our hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn more about the vital importance of platelet donations and how you can Target Your Type by clicking HERE.
Healthy people 16 or older and who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type visit oneblood.org or call 1-888-9DONATE (1-888-936-6283).