Saving lives one pint at a time

Cheri Wood. Photo courtesy of VDOT.

According to the American Red Cross, one pint of donated blood can potentially save up to three lives.

By that math, Cheri Wood, quality and training supervisor for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Customer Service Center in Salem, has potentially saved up to 207 lives.

“My dad was in a car wreck in 1978 and needed immediate surgery, but they didn’t have enough blood in the blood bank,” she said. “They put out a call over the local radio and TV stations asking for blood donations to help my dad.

“Thankfully, there were enough people that responded and dad was able to get his surgery.”

She was a young girl when the accident happened, but was old enough to understand how the blood donations made a difference not only in her dad’s life but in her family’s.

“I just determined, when I got old enough, I wanted to give back,” she said. “So, when I turned 18, I started donating.”

The Red Cross allows a person to donate blood every 56 days, but one has to be in good health.

“Through the years there have been instances when I haven’t been able to donate,” she said, “but I tried to stick to the ‘every 56 days’ as much as humanly possible.”

She is thankful for VDOT’s Community Service Leave program, which allows her to take the time needed to donate.

Cheri is on track to give a total of nine gallons by the end of June.

“Every time I give, I do it in memory of my dad, Charlie Martin, because others cared enough to donate for him,” she said.

“As long as I’m able, I’ll continue to donate because I know it is making a difference.”