Top Blood Donor In The Country Hails From CNY!
By: Rachel Polansky
Updated: February 18, 2013
The American Red Cross says every two seconds, someone in our country
needs blood. And more than 40,000 blood donations are needed every day.
But one Oneonta man says he's trying to change these statistics, one
pint at a time. Eyewitness News visits with one of the top blood donors
in the country and he lives right here in Central New York.
His name's Mike Parrella and he's pushing 80-years-old. He's been donating blood since he was 18, and he says he's never missed an opportunity. Mike's given 48 gallons of blood but he's not done yet. His goal is to reach 50 gallons.
"They rushed him to the hospital in the middle of the night and said he needed blood and I actually had a fear of needles but I knew he needed blood so I went and donated and got over my fear of needles then," says Mike Parrella, lifelong blood donor.
That was more than 60 years ago when Mike's landlord had a medical emergency. sSince then, he's donated 387 pints of blood but he says he's not stopping until he reaches 400.
"They say you got a potential chance of saving 3 lives per pint. So I'll have a potential chance of saving 1200 lives, and that would be nice. I'd like to have that," says Mike.
So what keeps him going?
"The need for blood is greater now than ever. Everybody can't be a doctor but you do have a way of helping people and saving lives doing this," says Mike.
And even though Mike's been called a "Real Hero" by the American Red Cross, he says giving blood is easy and it's something everyone should do.
"More people should try it and experience it because they might be surprised pleasantly," says Mike.
And he says there's one more perk when he reaches his goal..
"I asked them when I got the 40-gallon pin if they had the 50-gallon pin. They said no. I said well if I live long enough, you're gonna have to make one because I'm gonna aim for 50 gallons," says Mike.
Donors can give blood 6 times a year. Mike says this means he has to stick around about 2 more years and he'll reach that 50-gallon goal.
Are you interested in donating blood? Visit http://www.redcross.org/ny/utica and http://www.redcrossblood.org/
His name's Mike Parrella and he's pushing 80-years-old. He's been donating blood since he was 18, and he says he's never missed an opportunity. Mike's given 48 gallons of blood but he's not done yet. His goal is to reach 50 gallons.
"They rushed him to the hospital in the middle of the night and said he needed blood and I actually had a fear of needles but I knew he needed blood so I went and donated and got over my fear of needles then," says Mike Parrella, lifelong blood donor.
That was more than 60 years ago when Mike's landlord had a medical emergency. sSince then, he's donated 387 pints of blood but he says he's not stopping until he reaches 400.
"They say you got a potential chance of saving 3 lives per pint. So I'll have a potential chance of saving 1200 lives, and that would be nice. I'd like to have that," says Mike.
So what keeps him going?
"The need for blood is greater now than ever. Everybody can't be a doctor but you do have a way of helping people and saving lives doing this," says Mike.
And even though Mike's been called a "Real Hero" by the American Red Cross, he says giving blood is easy and it's something everyone should do.
"More people should try it and experience it because they might be surprised pleasantly," says Mike.
And he says there's one more perk when he reaches his goal..
"I asked them when I got the 40-gallon pin if they had the 50-gallon pin. They said no. I said well if I live long enough, you're gonna have to make one because I'm gonna aim for 50 gallons," says Mike.
Donors can give blood 6 times a year. Mike says this means he has to stick around about 2 more years and he'll reach that 50-gallon goal.
Are you interested in donating blood? Visit http://www.redcross.org/ny/utica and http://www.redcrossblood.org/
