Navy veteran Lonnie Kinzer reached a milestone Tuesday at the OneBlood Leesburg Donor Center that ranks him with less than 300 Floridians who have reached the 100-gallon-donor milestone since blood banking began during World War II. He has helped to save or sustain many hundreds of lives and families over the years.
Kinzer donated blood in Ohio for the first time in 1970, then continued after he enlisted in the Navy. He moved to Leesburg in the 1980s and began giving platelets, mostly to cancer patients. He has kept giving for over 50 years because of his conviction that someday he may need a blood transfusion. In his words, “I am paying it forward.” At the same time, he believes that donating blood is a way to give vital service to others, by “loving your neighbor as you do yourself.” He says he plans to keep sharing his gift of life as long as he can.
Kinzer gives platelets every two weeks. Those platelets are tested and sent to a hospital patient within five days. It is a blood component that has one of the fastest turnaround times to get to patients. Learn more about the importance of donating platelets click HERE.
Generally, healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. All donors receive a wellness checkup of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening, plus a surprise gift.
To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type, visit oneblood.org or call 1.888.9DONATE (1.888.936.6283).
