“He has quite a long record for blood donations. He’s been doing it for decades,” said Kathy Pleiman, Shelby County coordinator for the Community Blood Center. Blood donors may give every eight weeks, or about six times each year. To reach the gallon milestone, a donor must give eight times.
Pleiman pointed out that Shelby County residents exceed the national average in blood donations. About 5 percent of the population donates nationwide, and in Shelby County, it is 15 percent. Consequently, the county has several donors who have donated gallons of blood.
Bender, now 57, started donating when he was in his mid-20s. He said he would have began earlier, but thought that he could not donate because of a childhood case of rheumatic fever.
“I was under the impression that I couldn’t donate,” he said. In the 1970s, when he was teaching agricultural education at Coldwater High School, he recalled attending a blood drive.
“I expressed my frustration that I couldn’t give,” he said. After a little research, he found that he could give. He’s been donating regularly since.
“It’s become habitual,” he said. “I carry a calendar book. I write down when I can give.”
In 1979, when he became the Shelby County extension agent for the Ohio State University Extension, he began promoting blood donation in his weekly newspaper column. At the end of each column, he would write about upcoming blood drives in Shelby County. He also wrote letters to the editor supporting blood donation.
Bender has seen the benefits of blood donation. He recalled that when his father had heart surgery in the 1980s, he needed five units of blood. Now, the Blood Center can track where donated blood is used. For instance, Bender learned that his December donation helped a trauma victim in Springfield.
Bender said he tries to attend blood drives throughout the county. When talking with him, it’s evident that he enjoys donating, and he enjoys the experience of talking both with the staff at Community Blood Center as well as other donors. He said he’s met some interesting people over the years.
His commitment to blood donation has also made him more aware of his own health. Because donors can give if they’ve had a recent cold, he makes sure that he lessens his chances of getting a cold by getting enough sleep and eating right.
“I’d be devastated if I couldn’t give anymore,” he said.
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