Thanks-For-Giving Frank Knight!
(St. Petersburg, FL, November 19, 2018) Frank Knight began donating blood as a ROTC student at Florida State University in 1959. His subsequent 40 year career as a teacher in Pinellas County schools took a variety of directions, but one constant was a commitment to donating whole blood and platelets. Now at age of 79 and having donated for over 60 years, Frank will achieve his donor milestone of 150 gallons of giving! Frank will join the exclusive ranks of the less than two dozen people who have given 150 gallons or more of blood in Florida, since blood banking began during World War II!!
Frank Knight
150 Gallon Donor Milestone Celebration
Wednesday, November 21
10 a.m. – 11:30 am donation
OneBlood Tyrone Donor Center
6808 22nd Ave. N.
St. Petersburg
Frank’s donations have helped to save or sustain many hundreds if not thousands of lives and families! Plus, the pre-donation wellness check-up potentially saved his own-twice! When Frank went to donate in March 2004, his pulse was erratic and he was advised by OneBlood staff to see his doctor. He found out he had heart arrhythmia. After surgery to install a pacemaker, Frank returned to donating. But his story does not end there. Earlier this year Frank’s iron count was low. After several attempts to donate blood, staff encouraged him to go to his doctor where he found out he had internal bleeding caused by too much arthritis medication. Frank changed his medicine, his iron count recovered and he is continuing to follow his life’s passion of donating to help others!
As a special surprise on this occasion, which also happens to be her birthday, Evelyn Colon-Legon of Tampa who is a liver transplant recipient, will be there to share her story and thank him for helping patients like her have another birthday. She had Hepatitis C and for 48 weeks prior to and during her transplant on January 7, 2008, received multiple transfusions of blood and platelets to stay alive!
Finally, to add a little fun to this momentous occasion, Fritzy Brothers One Man Circus will be there to entertain Frank as well as the other staff and donors present. Fritzy is an almost 8 gallon Type O negative blood donor who wanted to come and also recognize Frank for his lifesaving achievement.
Generally, healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. All donors receive a wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and cholesterol screening, plus a surprise gift.
To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type, visit oneblood.org or call 1.888.9DONATE (1.888.936.6283).
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OneBlood is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community asset responsible for providing safe, available and affordable blood to more than 200 hospital partners and their patients throughout most of Florida, parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. The OneBlood name is a constant reminder of the collective power we share to save another person’s life.