As families and neighbors begin the heartbreaking process of rebuilding after the latest hurricane, a small piece of Spokane, Washington, is on its way to help. The Inland Northwest Blood Center routinely dispatches one of its bloodmobiles to support communities across the country in times of significant crisis, including Ground Zero in New York following the September 11th attacks and Florida following Hurricane Irma.
But these vehicles are also critical to the health and well-being of neighbors right at home in Spokane. The Blood Center’s fleet of “Lifesaver” vehicles crisscrosses the region conducting community blood drives at schools, businesses and community centers six days a week, every week, nearly the entire year.
Those donations then make their way to local hospitals where they help preserve and protect the lives of local families and friends.
The Murdock Trust staff was fortunate enough to visit the Inland Northwest Blood Center during a recent trip to the area. In addition to getting a tour of the facility and learning about the full range of life-saving services it provides, and walking through the Lifesaver 3 bloodmobile that was funded by the Trust in 2007, the Blood Center also presented a sneak preview of the latest, soon-to-be-delivered, addition to its fleet—the state-of-the-art Lifesaver 5, which was funded by a recent grant from the Trust. Blood Center employees also shared some of the personal stories they’ve encountered while serving the blood center. In a heart-wrenching moment, one staff member shared that her own son is battling leukemia. His fight against the disease is supported by regular infusions of blood from Inland Northwest.
The staff shared with us that the new Lifesaver 5 will make their process even more efficient for blood donors by using an automated collection system. At the same time, the leaner design and more spacious interior will make for a more comfortable, relaxed experience for donors and staff.
We are honored to be able to support the lifesaving work that takes place every day at the Inland Northwest Blood Center. Thank you for sharing your story with us, and thank you for all that you do to keep our community members safe and healthy.
