When Gary LaSasso’s young cousin was diagnosed with Leukemia four years ago, Gary wanted to help in any way he could.

“I knew that he was going to be in need of constant platelets during his treatments and I thought I would do my part to help refill the platelet population – replenish the platelets.”

Knowing his cousin needed platelets to be able to undergo chemotherapy to treat his Leukemia led Gary to begin an odyssey of giving. For the past four years, he has donated platelets 18 times a year.

Initially, Gary thought he was going to donate once a month. An encounter with another donor changed his mind.

“I sat down in the canteen after one of my donations and another donor thanked me for my donation. I thought it was kind of strange, why is a donor thanking a donor?”

Gary asked the donor - why? Her answer stuck with him.

She said, “We just moved from Chicago. Our son is undergoing clinical trials at CHOP in Philadelphia and if he doesn’t get platelets every week he’s going to die. It’s people like you who donate that save his life. So, at that point I was like I can’t give once a month. I have to give more.”

Platelets are needed by someone in the U.S. every 15 seconds. They are tiny cells that help blood to clot, which stops bleeding. Nearly half of all donated platelets go to cancer patients, but blood products are also needed for accident and burn victims, people with sickle cell disease, or those who have undergone heart surgery.

To understand Gary’s commitment to giving, it takes two to three hours to make a platelet donation. But Gary didn’t stop there. He actively recruits other donors.

“My 18 is one thing but if I can get two or three other people to give 10 times, that’s many more than I’m giving, so I like to use social media to spread the word and hopefully get more people.”

Gary works in information technology (IT) for a biomedical company called Amicus Therapeutics. The company hosts blood drives at the office and allows employees to take three volunteer days a year, which gives Gary time to donate.

“Culturally at our company we give back. That’s part of who we are. We have a mission called healing beyond disease.”

He said, “I’m not a scientist, so I’m not going to invent anything to cure anything.” What he feels he can do through his role in IT is to help people “communicate and collaborate more effectively and efficiently,” which he said helps him “give back” to the community.

He also plans to keep donating platelets and hopes other people will follow his lead.

“Do it once. Join the Facebook group of platelet donors of the Red Cross, and when you’re around a community and you understand the impact that you’re making, you won’t just do it once. You’ll give a lot more.”

When you donate platelets, you can relax and stretch out in a comfy chair. Pass the time by watching TV or a movie, all while knowing you are saving lives.

To make an appointment to donate blood or platelets, visit RedCrossBlood.org, use the Red Cross donor app or call 1-800-RED CROSS. That’s 1-800-733-2767.

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- Written by Jenny Farley