College of Sciences Newsletter

Edition 18

August 10, 2003

Money Isn't Everything! While donating money is a great way to help your favorite charity, there are other ways to serve your community, and one associate professor of ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences has been helping others in this unusual capacity for 25 years. Ronald E. Johnson reached his 150th platelet donation through the American Red Cross on September 17, 2002. He has continued to donate platelets every month since, too. He was featured in the winter 2003 edition of Arm in Arm, a quarterly publication for American Red Cross platelet donors. "It makes me feel good to know that I can do something so easy to help out someone in need," said Johnson, who encourages students and colleagues to donate. Each semester, Johnson distributes hundreds of brochures to his classes and discusses the important need for platelet donors with them. Ronald E. Jonson Platelets are the clotting factor in blood and are used extensively in the treatment of cancer, aplastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, transplant surgeries and other serious illnesses. While the donor relaxes in front of a television, whole blood is drawn from one arm and channeled through a machine, which collects the platelets. The plasma and red cells are returned through the other arm. The entire process takes about two hours. To obtain more information or schedule a platelet donation, call 757-623-4880.

 

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