Todd Bailey
Todd Bailey has been donating blood with Hoxworth Blood Center for 25 years. He will never forget the day of his first donation. It was a day that many Americans can tell you where they were when they heard the tragic news of a terror attack in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington DC. From that day on, Todd committed to being a regular blood donor saving hundreds of lives right here in the Cincinnati area.
You can watch his story or read it below.
I started the afternoon of 9-11-2001. I was downtown and I needed to do something that I thought would be positive.
Todd Bailey
Todd Bailey told his story to Liz Bonis on Local 12’s What’s Happening in Health show. He was honored as the Donor of the Week for his dedication as a Hoxworth blood donor. Todd adds that on that day 25 years ago, he waited four-and-a-half hours to donate blood due to the large number of people who, like Todd, needed to do something good on such a bad day.
After his blood was tested on that day, he learned he had a rare blood type due to an antigen on his red blood cells.
“The staff at Hoxworth will call me and say there is a patient in a local hospital that needs my blood.”
What is a Rare Blood Type?
A donor is considered “rare” if they lack specific blood group antigens or have a rare antigen combination that is uncommon in the general population. In Todd’s case, he is negative for CMV or common viruses, his blood type is A-, and his blood is negative for several antigens that are found in most patients’ blood. That means the risk of an adverse reaction during transfusion is very low.
Teaching a Meaningful Lesson
Around Christmas Todd was visiting with his grandkids, two eight-year-olds and two five-year-olds, when he decided to explain to them why he is a blood donor at Hoxworth.
“I said I want to talk to you about a different kind of gift: The gift of life.”
Todd used a gallon jug to provide a visual of the 14 gallons of whole blood he has given over two and a half decades. He also showed them his gallon pins he has earned over the years.
“My 8-year-old granddaughter said, ‘I’m going to donate!’ I asked her to wait a little while.” His granddaughter who very much understood the lesson her grandfather was teaching her continued, “She said ‘So all of those people have a little bit of you in them.’”
Todd says he doesn’t donate for the promotional items, but he does enjoy sharing some of those with his family. He says the way he feels after giving blood to local patients is priceless.
“The feeling is a very wonderful, positive feeling because I know I helped somebody. I’ll never meet these people but that doesn’t matter.”
Be a Hoxworth Hero like Todd Today!
You can start your #HoxworthHabit today by signing up to save local lives through blood donation at Hoxworth.org. Each donation saves up to three lives in Greater Cincinnati area hospitals. One in seven patients at local hospitals requires a blood transfusion. Your donation can help your friends, family and community. Schedule your donation today!