Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680
What: Sue Cox-Pyatt to donate 233rd unit of blood
When: Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, 11 a.m.
Where: Mesquite Library, 121 W. First North Street.
MESQUITE, Nev. (Nov. 7, 2022) — With a 55-year history of giving, 73-year-old Sue Cox-Pyatt is already a noteworthy Red Cross blood donor. But this Wednesday, Nov. 9, she will donate for the 233rd time, hitting a remarkable grand total of 28 gallons of donated blood -- with the potential to save nearly 675 lives.
“I love the idea that I can help so many people in the 45 minutes or less it takes to give blood,” Sue said. “To me, it’s important to donate, and other things can wait. I’ve made it a part of my life, a part of my routine.” Cox-Pyatt donates whole blood, which can only be drawn every 56 days to allow red blood levels to return to normal.
“Every time Sue donates, her one pint of blood has the potential to save three lives,” said Rachel Flanigan, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Southern Nevada Chapter. “We depend on generous volunteer blood donors, like Sue, to provide lifesaving blood for those in need, and we want to recognize her generosity and commitment.”
About every two seconds in the United States, blood is needed to respond to patient emergencies, according to Flanigan. “The Red Cross supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood, and we often see a decline in donations during the holiday season. We’re urging people to donate now.”
In fact, the only way to obtain transfusable blood is through donations, Flanigan stresses. “For as long as medicine has been around, we’ve had to rely on the generosity of others to give blood so it’s available when needed,” she said. “Any of us – our friends, family, neighbors – could be in an accident or become ill some day and need blood. Yet, in the U.S., where 62% of the population is eligible to give, only 3% does.”
Cox-Pyatt says that statistic shocks her. “It really is awful that more people don’t donate. I try to encourage others to give. Really, in a matter of minutes, you can help so many – just find the time.”
She says she uses the Red Cross Donor App to schedule donations, but also to follow her blood on its journey to a hospital where it goes to a patient in need. “I do love to follow my blood’s journey on the app.,” Sue said. “Sometimes I see it go to Las Vegas, sometimes Utah, and sometimes much farther.”
Sign up now to donate. It’s simple
Download the Red Cross Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.