2012 annual report to the community Dear colleagues and supporters Every one of us has an important part to play in saving and sustaining lives in our community. And together, we have been able to make a real difference in the lives of people in need again this past year. Whether as a generous blood donor, blood drive sponsor, financial contributor, or volunteer, you have been with us every step of the way. You’ve made it possible for us to be there with life-saving blood for the vulnerable baby born prematurely and the new mom faced with life-threatening hemorrhaging during childbirth. Because you stepped up, we were there for the patient battling cancer and for those in a long-term battle against the immobilizing pain that comes from sickle cell disease. Thanks to you there are thousands of mothers and fathers, children and grandparents, co-workers and neighbors celebrating life and sharing stories of courage, hope, and survival. Indeed, the stories you’ll find within the pages of this annual report are just a few examples of the many lives you’ve helped. These stories clearly demonstrate the power of your generosity to make a difference. We are grateful you have chosen to generously invest in helping us support the health and well-being of the communities we serve. Thank you all – we’re doing this together. THOMAS HEANEY, BOARD CHAIR DONALD C. BERGLUND, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER If people could just “look in the faces of the people they are helping, like me and my daughter, I just We help keep know that more of families together them would do their part to donate blood Pregnancy is often a time of mixed emotions: joy at the prospect of a new and help save lives.” baby, along with a certain amount of worry. Expectant mother Rhonda —Rhonda Muller Muller, faced one of the most anxiety-causing complications possible during pregnancy: Rh sensitization. “Basically, my baby and I had different blood types which meant that my antibodies started attacking her red blood cells, thinking she was a foreign substance and causing severe anemia,” Rhonda said. Five intrauterine fetal blood transfusions kept Alexandra healthy until she arrived at 34 weeks. After two more transfusions, she was given the “all clear” at four months old. Today, Alexandra and her family celebrate in gratitude for the generous blood donors who gave her a chance at life. 1 1 Thank you for Soldiers joining“ the ranks of Day+201: A Speech those helping children Written May 25, 2012 7:21 AM battling leukemia, Adrienne Hastad Linberg other cancers, and There was always plenty of excitement leading up to the first day of first grade. Back-to-school shopping meant new clothes and blood disorders as shoes, and school supplies—backpack, pencils, erasers, markers they fight the threat of and, of course, crayons. I remember my own childhood, excited with each new box of crayons—the distinct, waxy smell, the a colorless future.” uniformity of the tips, each crayon neatly forming rows in the box. —Adrienne Linberg For my enthusiastic, social 6-year-old Annika, last year she eagerly awaited reuniting with school friends and tackling first grade curriculum. And like me, she was particularly excited to be the owner of a new BIG box of 48 crayons! She didn’t even know a box that big existed. 1. THE LINBERG FAMILY photographed by Dan Bovin; 2. ANNIKA LINBERG today 2 But Annika’s back-to-school plans changed abruptly when we learned her cancer had returned. Diagnosed at three years old with acute promyelocytic leukemia, Annika endured aggressive chemotherapy and achieved remission for 15 months. But a relapse meant she needed a bone marrow transplant. As we hurriedly packed for our extended stay at Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, Annika, as always, took charge of packing her own bag. When I checked her bag bound for the hospital this time, 2 mixed among her clothes I found a few treasures: a little porcelain angel, her newest American Girl doll, and something that really caught my heart… her new box of brightly colored 48 Crayola crayons. Making a difference Seeing those crayons wedged in with all her other chosen items—the in the lives of cancer ones she decided she needed for this battle, the battle for her life— patients in need represented such a powerful juxtaposition of the innocent, childish, joyful, bright little girl and the evil, dark, colorless, malevolent cancer An estimated 200,000 she was fighting. 48 colorful little soldiers, sharp and at-the-ready Minnesotans are living with joined her rank and file to battle the threat of a colorless future. a history of cancer. For many who have undergone years of As partners with Memorial Blood Centers, you are soldiers treatment, only a transfusion of in Annika’s army, just like the color crayons. Without your specially matched platelets can support, Annika wouldn’t have had the units of blood provide the life-saving help they needed to save her life. need to survive. Now, thanks to a generous $10,000 grant from the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund, we are making an even greater difference in the lives of patients facing an ongoing battle with this disease. About one in 315 children in the U.S. will face a cancer diagnosis before their 20th birthday 3 Doing good. Having fun. Making a difference. What’s Your Type? at TCF Bank Stadium Over 600 event sponsors, attendees, and participants in auctions, drawings, and raffles at What’s Your Type? benefits in both the Metro and Northland raised more than $164,000 to help fund our new and highly efficient bloodmobile and our High School Program. At TCF Bank Stadium, live music by jazz great Patty Peterson & Friends, storytelling and entertainment by NPR commentator Kevin Kling, delicious food and beverages provided by 17 locally owned Twin Cities Originals’ restaurants, live and silent auctions all celebrated the cause of blood donation. See fun photos at MBC.ORG. SAVE THE DATE! WHAT’S YOUR TYPE? THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 1 Honoring student essay scholarship award winners Through two annual High School Blood Drive Workshops and various scholarship awards opportunities, Memorial Blood Centers gives back to the communities in which we live and work with educational outreach, leadership training, recognition, and financial support to graduating seniors pursuing post-high school academic studies. With high school partners hosting 239 blood drives in 2011-2012, we engaged young people in building a life-long commitment to community 2 service as blood donors. And they stepped up to give over 11,000 units of blood. Participating schools and individual students also received awards totaling $16,000 to recognize outstanding success sponsoring blood drives and educating others about the importance of blood donation. Visit MBC.ORG/Schools to learn more. 3 1. TCF BANK STADIUM, What’s Your Type? April 26, 2012 2. ERIN HAGEMEYER, Osseo High School, Scholarship Winner, Metro 3. KELLI VOSS, Virginia High School, Scholarship Winner, Northland 4 1 New bloodmobile inauguration Mobile blood drives—sponsored by corporations and community groups, places of worship, schools, and colleges—supply approximately 50% of the blood Memorial Blood Centers needs to meet demand from our hospital partners each year. Thanks to thousands of financial contributors, our newest full-service bloodmobile is on the road, expanding our capacity to serve more blood donors, collect as many as 8,000 more units in its first year of operation and, most important, help save as many as 24,000 more lives. Plymouth Donor Center opens new doors Memorial Blood Centers put the financial gifts of individuals, businesses, and area foundations to work at the Plymouth Donor Center—one of our busiest donor centers that has the very latest equipment to collect special donations such as platelets and plasma. An extensive renovation has improved the blood donation experience for donors and staff and increased collections with more donor beds. With streamlined operations and unfailing support from loyal donors, we are on our way to achieving our goal of reaching nearly 200 people in the community every day with life-saving blood. 2 1. MIKE PHELPS, Chief Administrative Officer - Ridgeview Medical Center;DONALD C. BERGLUND, CEO - Memorial Blood Centers; CARA BOTHUN, blood recipient and blood drive sponsor with children DANE and THEA BOTHUN welcome donors to our newest bloodmobile. 2. DONALD C. BERGLUND, CEO - Memorial Blood Centers, opens new doors with KELLY SLAVIK, Mayor of Plymouth. 5 How do you thank someone for saving both of your “children’s lives? My kids are living proof that blood donations are crucial. Without blood transfusions, they would not be here with us today.” —Julie Williams Our mission Saving lives by providing blood and biomedical solutions Through effective outreach to donors, continual development of biomedical expertise, and strong partnerships with blood drive sponsors, health care facilities, and medical providers, Memorial Blood Centers connects those who need blood with the generous volunteers who give, and delivers the highest level of technical expertise and laboratory testing services to customers around the world. 6 Molly & Luke Williams We never know when our world will be turned upside down, when we find ourselves depending on blood products to save our life or the life of a loved one. For Julie and Brandon Williams, they didn’t count on their kids getting cancer, but they came to rely on the generous blood donations of others to keep them alive. First it was Luke, at just eight months; then his sister, Molly, as an active two- year-old toddler.