My short story on blood donation began when a nurse practitioner told me that I have a really rare blood type. She said you are AB Negative. If you decide to help, you would be great at the blood bank. So, after a few years of whole blood donations, it was all good. Doing a good deed
is its own reward and that is all the motivation I needed.
The larger apheresis machines and process intrigued me, but I was ineligible at the time. So, I was asked to please try again. In the meantime, I had a very young son, who would come with me as I donated whole blood and watched the whole show with big eyes! Later, he came on his 16th birthday to donate for the first time – the first day he was eligible.
Overall, the sense of duty comes down to feeling like there is meaning to having a CALLING and hearing it, then answering it. All of us have blessings and adversities in our lives - it is how we respond that counts. After making the cut for apheresis with another try- the plasma and platelets added up and I got the call recently that totals had hit 25 gallons. My goal is to hit 30 gallons in a month or two. Could not be doing this without the support of my wonderful wife, who makes the great meals that sustain this. She and I met when we were 12 years old almost 50 years ago. Also having a hand is the best apheresis recruiter in the west- Karen Crawford
who has encouraged me, even when I have faltered. Kudos to the technicians at Oakland Blood Center who do their jobs like the professionals they are.
In addition to regularly saving lives, Mr. Maxwell is a lifelong bicycle mechanic and cycling enthusiast. He also performs regularly on the flute and saxophone in the Bay Area and across the country with legendary guitarist Calvin Keys.
