Omer Elwer knows how precious life can be, and he has dedicated his to helping give life to others.
To date, Elwer has donated more than 70 gallons of blood between Florida and his home in Defiance, Ohio. Elwer hit the 70-gallon mark in March, at Florida Blood Services, 2909 James L. Redman Parkway, Plant City.
Elwer spends five months of the year in Florida at Spanish Main RV Park and Resort, in Thonotosassa, and primarily gives platelet donations, which are transfused into cancer patients to sustain life during treatments.
After realizing that the donation centers up north and in Florida had no combined records of his donations, Elwer took it upon himself to chart and track his statistics.
He has had 560 whole blood and platelet transfusions, resulting in the impressive 70-gallon total.
In 2010, after nearly 40 years of donating, Elwer had to have five surgeries for internal bleeding, needing a total of four gallons of blood transfusions.
He has continued to give donations since the surgeries and said he will continue as long as he “feels good and is healthy.”
“I’m going to keep giving as long as I can give,” he said. “I would love to be able to reach 100 gallons, even if that means I’m 100 years old when I do it.”
Elwer began working in the early 1970s, in the GM foundry, in Defiance. The Red Cross visited periodically, so employees could donate blood on-site. He began donating whole blood once a year.
“After giving blood for a while, I noticed that it got rid of nose bleeds that I would have,” he said.
When he felt one coming on, it was a sign to donate. Learning the benefits donating had on others, Elwer continued to donate regularly through June 15, 2000.
Elwer then turned to donating platelets, where blood is collected by a cell-separating machine — a process called apheresis. The platelets are removed, and the rest of the blood components are returned to the donor.
Because platelet donors must lie perfectly still and stay awake for nearly two hours, Elwer, a devout Catholic, chooses to use that as meditation time.
“There is a physical part to it and a spiritual part of it,” he said about donating. “When you are lying there and everything is quiet, that’s the deeper spiritual side. Only God can give life through platelets.”
FLORIDA BLOOD SERVICES (ONE BLOOD)
WHERE: 2909 James L. Redman Parkway Suite 6
HOURS: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays
PHONE: (813) 752-7638
WEBSITE: oneblood.org
INFORMATION: 1-800-68 BLOOD (25663) or visit fbsblood.org