NORTHVILLE, Mich. – It takes less than an hour of your day to donate blood, but for people who are relying on that blood, it’s a priceless gift.
2024 has seen a dip in the number of people willing to donate, but a Metro Detroit couple is hoping to help change that.
Related: American Red Cross warns of 20-year low in blood donations
Donated blood saves lives every day in emergencies, but it’s also critical for people battling serious illnesses -- including those on dialysis. For Mike and Erin Pinkleton of Northville, it’s been a true lifeline.
“He went to his doctor and they did blood tests and found out that he was anemic,” Erin Pinkleton said. “So he got a blood transfusion and then he ended up becoming anemic again.”
Erin said months of testing brought no answers. Then, Mike’s kidneys began to fail.
“They put him on emergency dialysis in July of 2021 and at the time, we didn’t even know what dialysis was,” Erin said. “And later they found out that he had a bacterial infection that attacked his kidneys and caused the kidney failure.”
It was a shock for this active couple, who’ve been married for 23 years.
“We knew our life was never going to go back to how it was again,” Erin said. “It takes up a huge amount of time.”
Mike has also needed more than 20 blood transfusions. Erin began volunteering at blood drives at their church, Praise Community in Plymouth. She’s now the blood drive coordinator.
“Our next one’s on May 23rd. And then we have them scheduled every eight weeks until the end of the year,” Erin said. “Some of our friends are his blood type and they get an email when their blood is being used and where it’s getting used. So it’s really neat that they can see Oh, my blood went to Ann Arbor. I wonder if my Mike got my blood.”
It’s a lifesaving gift Mike and Erin want every patient to get.
“They might have a patient in surgery and another patient on the floor who needs blood and they only have one unit of that type left and they’ve had to make difficult decisions about who’s going to get that blood. And luckily every time my husband’s needed it, it’s been available to him,” Erin said. “So I want to make sure that other families can have that too.”
Erin said Mike is getting stronger every day. He’s currently being evaluated for a kidney transplant. They hope to hear this summer whether he’ll be added to the list.
It has been estimated that only about 3% of eligible individuals donate blood once a year.
Praise Community Church in Plymouth is holding its next blood drive in May. You can also donate on Tuesday, April 23, at the Gardner-White stores in Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills and Taylor from 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. or on Thursday, April 25, at stores in Canton, Howell, Novi, Saginaw, Shelby Township, Warren on 14 Mile Road and in Waterford.
All donors will receive a coupon for $50 off a Gardner-White purchase of at least $399 and be entered to win a $500 Gardner-White gift certificate. Donors will also receive a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice and be entered for a chance at a $7,000 gift card. Two winners will be chosen. More information can be read here.
More information can be found on the American Red Cross website and the Gardner-White website.
Schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), sponsor code: gardnerwhite.
Read more: Join Gardner-White and American Red Cross in saving lives through blood donations