By Frederic Klein

A green blanket across his lap, a satisfied smile remained across the face of Graham Bridgeman while he reclined in a chair at the Jill and John Coyle Blood Donor Center in Greenwich, Connecticut. Headphones on, Graham’s gaze was affixed on the screen flashing in front of him as he watched an episode of Critical Role, a Dungeons & Dragons themed web series. Minutes sped by, blood drawn from one arm and into a whirring machine which separated out the platelets before returning the remaining blood components to his other arm.

Platelets are a type of cell in blood which helps to form clots and stop bleeding, something which is essential for people surviving and fighting cancer, chronic diseases and traumatic injuries. These vital blood components are in constant demand by hospitals. On average, someone in the United States needs platelets every 15 seconds — and platelets are typically transferred within just three days of donation.

For Graham, the reason he was there to donate platelets was because a friend he played Dungeons & Dragons with had been diagnosed with cancer — again.

“They’d had cancer as a teenager and now, nearly three decades later, they’d gotten another cancer diagnosis,” shared Graham. “When they told us, I wanted to be able to do something to support them. I asked what would be meaningful, and they suggested I donate platelets because that’s the thing they really need during chemotherapy. So that’s why I’m here.”

The platelet donation process from start to finish can take about three hours, including a half hour to review health history and another half hour to enjoy a snack afterwards. During the donation, which takes around two hours, donors can watch a movie or listen to music — or even another installment of their favorite Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

After his platelet donation was complete, Graham was already scheming to get his family to come donate with him on a day which historically has a very high need for donors — December 25.

“After doing this, I thought, I wonder if I could get some of my family to come donate platelets with me on Christmas Day as a thing we do together as a family,” said Graham. “My dad’s a pastor, so it’s a busy time of year, but Christmas Day is pretty quiet. It could be the perfect way to spend his day off – just our family hanging out together for two hours and giving back.”

The Jill and John Coyle Blood Donor Center is open six days a week with early morning and weekend hours available. Appointments can be made through the Red Cross Blood Donor app, at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.