At 99, this Cedar Rapids volunteer continues helping to save lives one pint at a time

CEDAR RAPIDS — For Nadene Roberts, age is just a number. And at 99 she’s not slowing down as she continues her work to help save lives, one pint at a time.

The longtime blood donor also likes to recruit others to join her, as she had done in organizing a recent Monday afternoon blood drive in the Calvary Baptist Church gymnasium in southwest Cedar Rapids.

A large chocolate chip cookie with letters in red-and-white frosting spelling out “It’s your day” and an accompanying celebratory Mylar balloon awaited Roberts at the event.

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She joked with Vicky Hess as the blood collection specialist applied a blood pressure cuff, swabbed her inner elbow with a disinfectant wipe and smoothly inserted a needle into a vein. As blood flowed into a collection bag, Roberts turned to chat with her dentist, Dr. Joel Sardzinski, whom Roberts enlisted to join her in donating blood that day.

The Cedar Rapids retiree organized the July 14 blood drive and has donated blood on 50 occasions with ImpactLife, making her a "6-gallon" donor. According to ImpactLife, Roberts is the nonprofit community blood center’s oldest donor and volunteer blood drive coordinator.

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Based in Davenport, ImpactLife is a major blood provider to more than 120 hospitals and emergency medical service providers in a four-state region, with distribution hubs and donor centers in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Out of 213,000 donors across four states, “we have one person (Roberts) who is 99 years of age, just a very small handful in their 90s,” said Kirby Winn, public relations manager for ImpactLife.

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Roberts, who worked in career and college admissions counseling at Coe College and the Veterans Administration, said she enjoys recruiting donors and spreading awareness about blood donation, adding she finds the process easy and personally satisfying.

Roberts said being a donor and becoming a volunteer blood drive coordinator has given her a sense of purpose — allowing her to do something meaningful to help those in her community, while providing opportunities to connect with people.

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She said her most powerful motivation is hearing stories about how blood transfusions have saved people's lives.

“It is very easy and it's very self-satisfying to know that you may be saving somebody's life,” she said.

Roberts encourages others by emphasizing how simple the process is (the actual blood draw takes about eight to 10 minutes) and the critical need for blood donations.

“I just think it is very important because there is such a terrific need for blood,” Roberts said.

Iowa’s blood supply faces ongoing challenges

Reports from Iowa's blood centers, such as LifeServe Blood Center and ImpactLife, indicate that the state's blood supply is facing ongoing challenges.

LifeServe Blood Center's website currently shows that blood types O-negative, A-negative and AB-negative are at critically low levels.

Demand for blood in the United States is high, with someone needing a blood transfusion every two seconds, according to the American Red Cross. Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day, and nearly 16 million blood components are transfused each year in the United States.

Blood donations are needed to meet the everyday needs of patients — for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries — and to prepare for emergencies. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood, according to the Red Cross.

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Summers present a difficult time for the region’s blood supply. Blood donation numbers typically drop during the summer due to several factors, including school breaks, vacations and increased travel, which lead to fewer people donating. However, the need for blood doesn't take a vacation, making it a critical time for donations, said Teresa Gottschalk, ImpactLife regional manager.

Hospitals and emergency services also typically see higher rates of trauma-related injuries from increased outdoor activities and travel during summer months, resulting in a higher demand for blood, Gottschalk said. Blood components like red blood cells and platelets have a limited shelf life, meaning they cannot be stored indefinitely.

ImpactLife said it is experiencing low inventory for certain blood types, which is typical for this time of year, with O-negative and B-negative blood types both at less than a three-day supply. Blood and platelet donations from all blood types, however, are needed, according to the blood center.

To help boost supplies, donors who give blood at ImpactLife donor center locations through Aug. 10 will receive an additional $20 gift card or Good Giving donation bonus.

Blood donations are separated into key components to maximize their use. Whole blood donation is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets. Additionally, cryoprecipitate (a component of plasma) and granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) can also be obtained from blood donations.

“As a donor, your blood is helping support your community, and … blood can be broken down into three components,” Gottschalk said. “So your blood could go to save one life. It could go to save, potentially, up to three lives. So really, you're just helping ensure that the blood on the shelf is there when it's needed, because you never know when something could happen and that could be you tomorrow that may need that blood as well.”

A ‘gem’ who brightens ‘the corner where you are’

Gottschalk said volunteer coordinators like Roberts, who excel at recruitment and follow-up, are instrumental in building relationships and personal connections with donors.

“They're the gems,” Gottschalk said. “Those are the needles in the haystack, per se, that we enjoy and just make it, honestly, fun and exciting. But, to be able to have somebody that's done it for this long and still support our mission, but also the donors, it's amazing. It makes our jobs easy. … You know, that ask from that personal connection is far more better than what we can as an organization.”

ImpactLife recruits donors and volunteers from across age groups, from high school students to retirees, said Winn, the ImpactLife public relations manager.

Celebrating longtime donors like Roberts and sharing their inspiring stories helps motivate others and foster enthusiasm among blood donors, he said.

There is no upper age limit to donate blood.

“It's really as long as you're feeling healthy and at least 16 years of age, you can donate,” Gottschalk said.

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The process involves registration, a health history and mini-physical that assesses temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin levels, the blood donation itself, and post-donation fluid and snacks.

Gottschalk said she aspires to be as “full of energy” as Roberts.

“I mean, just a smile on her face and just being able to be excited and just have those relationships, like that is who I want to be like — just to be able to have that pep in my step and feel great to be able to still do this at 99 years old.”

Roberts said staying active and having purpose are crucial to maintaining health and enjoying life, even at an advanced age. She said her approach is to always have something to do and people to connect with, which keeps her motivated and engaged.

She travels four times a year to visit family in Florida and Rhode Island, and coordinates monthly events for retirees at her church, including arranging speakers and food, in addition to continuing to coordinate blood drives. She never allows herself to "sit and stare into space."

Winn said his grandmother’s favorite song was Ella Fitzgerald’s “Brighten The Corner Where You Are.”

“And I think that's what you're doing,” he told Roberts.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com