STAYING TREVSTRONG, SAVING LIVES
The annual TrevStrong Blood Drive once again brought the Geneseo community together to honor Trevor’s life and continue a legacy of giving back. Trevor lived with DADA2, a rare genetic condition that required him to receive 588 blood products throughout his life. In 2018, his family launched the TrevStrong Blood Drive as a way to celebrate his 17th birthday and set a goal of eventually collecting 588 donations in his honor.
That milestone was officially surpassed in 2021, but Trevor’s family has continued hosting annual drives to support patients and families facing battles of their own. They're up to 914 donations!
Each year, the event serves as a meaningful reminder of the lifesaving impact blood donors have and the lasting difference one person’s story can make in inspiring a community to give back.
SHOWING OUR PRIDE IN SPRINGFIELD
Last Saturday, our staff and members of our Springfield Associate Board had a blast hanging out at the Springfield Pridefest event! It was an incredible day filled with great conversations with the LGBTQ+ community about how they can roll up a sleeve and help save lives. We shared our mission and reminded the community about the updated 2023 FDA guidelines using gender-inclusive based questions in pre-donation screening.
We helped more than 70 people learn their blood type right on the spot! Getting to know your blood type is such a fun first step in the donation journey, and the energy from everyone who stopped by our booth was truly inspiring.
EMS WEEK WITH MEDICS FIRST & STOP THE BLEED
EMS Week is a time to recognize the heroic impact emergency medical professionals make every single day. Today, we want to thank the staff at Medics First of Springfield Illinois, for hosting a blood drive and teaching hands-on Stop the Bleed demonstrations for the community.
Last Monday’s special promotional event featured representatives of SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital, and Stop the Bleed, to promote regular blood donation and the lifesaving techniques used to control bleeding after an injury.
You can be a hero by signing up for one of our upcoming Heroes For Life blood drives today!
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Members of our Cedar Rapids Donor Services team showed their support for Mental Health Awareness Month by wearing green to raise awareness and spark conversation around the importance of mental health. It was a simple yet meaningful way to remind one another that caring for ourselves and supporting those around us matters every day.
We know strong communities are built through compassion and connection. We're grateful to our team members who foster a culture where we all feel seen, supported, and encouraged to take care of ourselves and each other.
GIVING BACK IS IN OUR BLOOD
Our Northern Region Donor Relations team was excited to give back and take part in the United Way's Day of Caring in Cedar Rapids! They spent the morning volunteering at His Hands Free Clinic, an organization focused on providing healthcare resources to those that need them, by brightening the space with a fresh coat of paint.
Participants included Teresa Gottschalk, Skye Kelley, Leigh Hoover, Lydia Polsean, Jake Hicks, and Krista Jiroutek. The day was filled with fun, teamwork, and community impact. It's also a great reminder of how we all put good into the world every day!
TAG IT AND TRACK IT!
We had the chance to be part of the ASFA (American Society for Apheresis) annual conference last month in Denver! Apheresis professionals, ranging from apheresis techs, doctors, and nurses from all over the world join this annual conference to learn and share all things apheresis: therapeutic, donor, and cellular therapy.
Jade Ditto (Manager, Integrative Clinical Services, not pictured) is on the Allied Health committee that plans the content of the conference. Our own Linda Mueller (Patient Services RN, pictured left)) and Malissa Hager (Supervisor, Patient Services, pictured right) presented the abstract "If You Can Tag it, You Can Track It" that featured using Apple AirTags to track Optia devices.
Thanks for representing ImpactLife!
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Mary Guyton
Manager, Donor Engagement | Davenport, IA
![Mary Guyton, Manager, Donor Engagement | Davenport, IA]()
Time at ImpactLife
13 Years
Blood Type
O Positive
What runs through your veins?
Coffee, Sparkling Ice, and not nearlyyy enough water!
What's your favorite thing about being part of our team?
The people. From the great team members I get to work with, to the incredible donors we get to educate, to the patients and their loved ones we are privileged to help. I'm surrounded by a bunch of awesome humans working every day to help other humans. Does it get any better?
When you are not at work you can be found?
Trying to squeeze the most out of each day! I love traveling, music, reading, puzzles, and spending time with my dogs - Reilly and Cohen. I've also been working through a Quad City "bucket list" of things I've never done locally. This summer I'm hoping to cross off seeing a Backwater Gamblers show and a rooftop movie at Last Picture House!