As the director of manufacturing at the American Red Cross blood lab in Cleveland, Darlene Morris has a unique perspective on the importance of donating blood products. Over her 30+ year career in the biomedical field, Darlene has experience both working in hospitals and in the blood centers where products such as blood, platelets and plasma are processed.

This unique perspective has allowed her to not only understand what goes into making the blood products, but to witness firsthand the good that they can do.

“It is important to always keep blood on the shelf because you never know when something is going to happen,” said Darlene. “I’ve seen lives saved, and that’s why it’s important to me.”

In her current role, she oversees all of the blood once it’s been collected and returned to the Red Cross at the Warzel Donation Center in Cleveland. There the collections are divided into their respective products and sent back to the hospitals to be used. This center is the third-highest manufacturing site in the country, producing over 700,000 products last year serving Northern Ohio, the Detroit region in Michigan and the Fort Wayne region in Indiana.

She is also an all-star platelet donor, giving donations of platelets about once every two weeks for the past several years. Platelet donations can be made with a wait time of only around seven days, versus a 56-day interval between standard blood donations.

Platelets are an important blood component that enable clotting when there is an injury or trauma. They are also important for cancer patients and others suffering from hematological conditions. Darlene notes that “between the (blood) products being available and improved procedures, now a lot of people survive.”

Darlene’s experiences have shaped her views of blood donations and the people they serve. 

“For me, I feel like it’s been a privilege to be a part of the Red Cross,” she explained. “It’s been a blessing to me, and this has been the greatest career. It’s not just about me, it’s about everybody else that we help.”

Right now, the Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. Blood and platelet donations are needed now to help alleviate the shortage and ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not delayed.

Tap here to find a blood drive near you and make an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or download the free Red Cross Blood App.