Craig Schettler
My name is Craig Schettler, and I'm a platelet donor for Unyts at the Southgate Plaza Neighborhood Blood Donation Center.
My donations started in the spring of 2010, when I went to a community blood drive at the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church where I gave whole blood. Noting my blood type, the staff asked me if I was interested in donating platelets. Unsure of what the process was, I was pleased by the fact that you could donate more than once every 8 weeks, and that you could get a free lunch. (All right, food always tends to get me interested in doing something).
So, with some apprehension, I scheduled an appointment at Southgate in West Seneca in September of 2010. When I arrived the staff was wonderful. Not only were they professional, they had a sense of humor and calmed my first time jitters. The process, lasting up to 2 hours, was truly a simple process where my concerns were met. I was able to watch Television; later WiFi was introduced, giving me time to read e-books, watch videos , listen to music and keep up with emails. In subsequent visits, I signed up for the donor registry, in which, after I pass on, I can still help out.
Since 2010, I have found, from Unyts new donor website, unytsblooddonor.org, that I have donated platelets 70 times. I really was surprised when I found out that I donated that much. To me, the donations every two weeks have become a regular part of my life. I have viewed the staff at Southgate as people who share the same goals as I do; to help those who are cancer patients. I am not skilled in cancer research; I am not a health care professional who aids cancer patients in treatment. I am only a donor, that in some small way, can contribute to helping in the fight against cancer and its destructive nature.
