by David Ullman, Red Cross Volunteer Storyteller

Philip Sanfilippo was in an operating theater when an epiphany changed his life and saved the lives of countless others. As a representative for a prosthetic heart valve manufacturer, Phil was a regular attendee during cardiac surgeries, assisting with the selection of the correct size heart valve. On this day, the procedure took an unexpected and calamitous turn.

“Phil was in the OR, and there was a complication and the patient started to bleed out,” remembered Caroline Schultz, Phil’s life partner. “He took a step back. He knew when to get out of the way. Then he left the room and went downstairs and gave blood. And that’s what started it.”

The patient survived and donating blood became an important part of Phil’s life.

“Witnessing that and realizing how critical blood was, that was a turning point for him,” continued Caroline.

Phil became a regular donor. Although his career frequently had him traveling, he always found a way to continue to donate.

“There's different drive locations in his years of donating because he traveled every week. In the 80s and 90s, they weren’t documenting like they do now so who knows exactly how many times he donated.”

Phil’s blood came with a second gift. It was CMV Negative. Phil entered into a special group of donors known as “Heroes for Babies.”

CMV is the cytomegalovirus, a common flu-like virus. Up to 85% of U.S. adults have been exposed to the virus by age 40 – many without ever knowing it because most people infected with CMV have mild to no symptoms. But for newborns and patients with weakened immune systems, CMV can be quite serious, even fatal. As with other viruses, once someone has had CMV, their body retains the antibodies. So, if you have ever had CMV, it’s likely you are “positive” for the antibodies. If you never had CMV, you haven’t produced antibodies against the virus and are considered “CMV negative,” and have CMV negative blood. When babies need blood transfusions as part of their medical care, the only safe option is to receive CMV negative blood.

The American Red Cross regularly tests donations to check for CMV antibodies. Only 15% of the population has CMV negative blood – making donors, like Phil, quite rare. There was always a need for his blood donation. Throughout his years of giving, Phil used the Red Cross Blood Donor app to schedule and manage his donation appointments.

“The Red Cross would be calling him saying, ‘We have a drive coming. Do you want to donate?’And he would login into the Red Cross Blood Donor portal and sign up,” Caroline recalled.

She says Phil found special validation for his donations when he received emails and texts from the Red Cross informing him where and when his blood was used. In 2023, Phil achieved something truly incredible – his 15-gallon donation milestone with the Red Cross. That means he had donated over 120 units of whole blood throughout his lifetime. Sadly, Phil passed away on January 17, 2024, at the age of 61, making his last donation notification that much more poignant.

“The most recent one came in the mail after he passed away informing him that he helped three people at Maine Medical Center. It was pretty cool. It’s right around the corner,” Caroline said. “It was special because it showed the results. He knew that he was helping people, but that was just a final confirmation. It closes the loop. I think it made it a little more personal.”
As Caroline remembered the life Phil lived and the lives he affected, she felt that a traditional funeral would not be a suitable recognition of his personality and beliefs.

“For Phil, doing a funeral wasn't that fitting. For him, doing something unique and different and just helping others is more his style,” she said.

Caroline shared her thoughts with a funeral home director who was a little cutting edge.

“The funeral home asked, ‘What would you like to do?’ and I just said, for him, I think it would be more appropriate if I could do something in his honor – like a blood drive. They loved the idea and offered to host it. They're hoping that it would be one of many.”

A blood drive at a funeral home was a first for the region, but it came together beautifully to celebrate Phil’s life while promoting one of his passions – giving the gift of life. On Friday, May 10th, the first "In Memory of Philip Sanfilippo Blood Drive" was held in Windham, New Hampshire at the Carrier Funeral Home Event Center. Twenty-eight pints of lifesaving blood were collected.

“It was kind of fun getting everybody to think a little differently and that's pretty much how Phil and I lived,” Caroline said.

Looking for a blood drive in your area? Visit redcrossblood.org to make your appointment today. Every donation could help save more than one life.