Author Archives: Carola Enriquez

It’s Valentine’s Day all Year at Houchin

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It really is Valentine’s Day all year at Houchin Community Blood Bank, because volunteer donors are giving from their hearts to help others each time they donate. What better gift could there be this Valentine’s Day, or any time all year?

Lots of couples donate, including Carole and Michael Daigle.  Michael is a CPA and realtor, and Carole works with kids at the Bakersfield Police Activities League.  They have two wonderful sons, and a terrific daughter by marriage. Carole is a Trima donor and Michael chooses to do whole blood, because he prefers less time with a needle. He jokes that giving blood is also a way to get the snacks he’s not allowed to have at home.

The couple grew up back east where there was no local blood bank, so they got started donating when a co-worker of Michael’s had a sick child. Carole acknowledges that Trima “takes a bit longer” than giving whole blood, but “can help more people in the long run”.  She would much rather be on the “giving side”, since “any of us could be on the receiving end” of blood, plasma or platelets.  The extra time in the Trima chair allows her to “sit and relax for a while”, something she doesn’t take much time to do at home.

Carole can give more often, but she and Mike do enjoy giving together since they often go for a lunch date after donating. They suggest taking your “better half” in to donate like they do and make it a date.  “It doesn’t hurt, only takes a little bit of your time and you get to laugh with the friendly Houchin staff.  If it wasn’t for everyone making it a fun experience we wouldn’t go nearly as often,” they say.

Another of our donating couples is Randy and Renee Greenlee.  Randy is the Safety Officer for Houchin Community Blood Bank, and Renee is a very proud wife and mother.  Randy first began donating in the service, and tried Trima when his father was hospitalized in Santa Barbara.  “I drove there and donated my first apheresis.  It really hits home when a family member is involved. I’ve been donating ever since.” Renee started donating whole blood when she married Randy 25 years ago.  “After being educated on the importance of donating blood I realized something that takes so little time can save so many lives,” she says.

Because Randy does Trima and Renee whole blood, they don’t often give together, but on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day they both give whole blood in recognition of our veterans and those currently serving in the military.  Randy offers these convincing words to others on the subject of blood donation: “There is no badge, there is no uniform, there is no recognition and there is no other source.”

Randy recommends that other couples consider donating together because, “What better way to serve your community, what better gift to give your neighbor?”  Renee adds: “Is there any better way to save a life than with the one you love?”

    Street Fair Ends Boots + Badges Competition

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    The end of the second annual Boots + Badges Blood Drive will be marked with a Safety Fair on Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at 5901Truxtun Avenue, in the parking lot of Houchin Community Blood Bank. The fair will feature safety equipment of all descriptions from our many Boots + Badges partners representing Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement throughout Kern County. Families will be able to inspect and discuss the following equipment and educational booths with first responders: Hall Ambulance; Kern County County Fire  Engine and Safety Trailer; Bakersfield City Fire Engines; Kern County Sheriff’s Office display; Bakersfield Police Department’s Crime Prevention, Bomb Squad and SWAT vehicles.

    The Bakersfield City Fire Department will be providing a free hot dog barbecue lunch as well for blood donors and their families. The Safety Fair and opportunity to participate in the blood drive is open to all, and a great way to learn more about safety during National Burn Awareness Week. The competition to see which team, Fire and EMS or Law Enforcement, can bring in the most blood to serve the needs of burn victims and other patients continues through 3:00 pm that day.

      Closed for President’s Day

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      Houchin Community Blood Bank will be closed to observe President’s Day on Monday, February 20, 2012. Whenever the blood bank is closed two days in a row, it is crucial that donors come in the days before and after to ensure that sufficient supplies are on the shelves. Platelets are a particular concern since they can only be transfused for five short days. Appointments and walk-ups are welcome to ensure the long weekend has all the blood necessary to support any patient needs which might arise.

        February Donor of the Month – Cindysue Beck

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        Cindysue Beck was first in line at the annual Platelet Dinner, not for the buffet, but to share her platelet donation experiences on video to help encourage more people to try automated donation. She is enthusiastic about platelet donation, and encourages others to donate blood or platelets to help meet real needs right here at home.

        Cindy is proud to support the local community through blood and platelet donation as evidenced by the 13 gallons of platelets and almost 8 gallons of whole blood she presently has to her credit. Cindy switched to automated donation when the grandfather of one of her grandchildren suffered a heart attack on Super Bowl weekend.  The attack nearly killed him, and he used lots of platelets in his recovery.  She promised to donate platelets if he’d stick around to help her raise the grandkids.

        Cindy finds her time in the platelet chair is two hours of “quiet time” to catch up with E-mail and other sit down things.  Such personal time is a real luxury for this busy grandmother of 7 ranging in age from 9 to 3. Cindy is raising two of the grandchildren herself. She often donates with a friend to keep up a friendly competition, and assures any whole blood donors that automated donation is not really that different from what they know. She urges them to just try it; they might like it as much as she does!

          Margaret and George: A century of giving from the heart

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          George Kimm and Margaret Delfino were recognized for achieving their 10 gallon mark in this vintage photo from the 1970s. Margaret is the only woman in the photo. George is kneeling in the front lower right.

          Margaret Delfino and George Kimm have a combined history of more than a century of giving from their hearts to help their families, friends and neighbors.

          Delfino, 93, and Kimm, 80, both began donating blood in the 1950s. Both today still are “going strong” as regular Houchin Community Blood Bank donors – Delfino approaching the 27-gallon mark and Kimm contributing more than 32 gallons.

          “As long as I can, I will keep giving blood,” said Delfino, during recent interviews. “It’s important to give. It’s the least you can do if you are healthy. It saves people’s lives.”

          “Once you get started – donating a gallon and then a couple of gallons – it gets to be kind of a competitive thing. You figure you can make five gallons and then you figure you might as well continue,” said Kimm. “After a while, you don’t even think about it. And then you get to know the people. Houchin is like a family. There’s camaraderie. You get together with other donors to do something that is needed. It’s great. It’s a nice place, with a nice feeling.”

          Delfino began donating blood in 1954 to help a neighbor battling a life-threatening illness. Kimm began donating as a student at Cal Poly. Over the years, both eventually became regular donors. They also have encouraged their children, grandchildren and other relatives to follow in their donor footsteps.

          “Back when I started, you didn’t donate as often as you can now,” said Delfino, recalling that decades ago donors were required to take three- and four-month breaks between donations. As a result, the Bakersfield woman’s head-spinning record began slowly. Today, healthy people can donate blood every eight weeks.

          Delfino’s donations also were interrupted in 2001 when, at the age of 81, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, Delfino resumed donating blood in 2006 when she passed the five-year cancer-free threshold.

          Delfino recalls Houchin held a party for her when she returned. At the party, she and seven family members donated blood.

          “When I hit 25 gallons, I received a letter from a 21-year-old kid in Michigan, who said he saw a story (about her milestone) and said he was inspired to start donating blood,” she recalled.

          Kimm’s march to his donor milestone was slow at the beginning – giving only occasionally as a student and during his service in the Army. But when he returned to Bakersfield in the late 1950s to manage Farmer John Eggs ranches, the doctor who attended to the birth of Kimm’s daughter, Geann, encouraged him to make his donations more regular.

          The doctor convinced him the need for blood and donors was increasing as the city grew and medical procedures advanced. Like Delfino, Kimm has witnessed many changes in the services Houchin provides.

          Years ago, they didn’t have the automated systems they have now, Kimm recalled, adding the early focus was on collecting “whole blood.” Today, other products are produced, including platelets.

          Medical procedures, such as cancer treatments, have advanced since Houchin opened its doors in 1951. Bakersfield has an increasing number of healthcare providers that specialize in these treatments serving many more patients.

          While this means an increasing number of people must be encouraged to donate their lifesaving blood, it also means Houchin must remain efficient and innovative in the way it collects and distributes blood products.

          (R-L) 32 gallon blood donors Margaret Delfino and George Kimm were honored guests at the recent groundbreaking for Houchin's new facility. They are joined by 100 year-old blood donor Louis Kerker, and blood recipient Krystal C.

          Houchin hopes to make our local blood donation and distribution system even more efficient and more capable of responding to local needs by building a consolidated facility in southwest Bakersfield.

          In September 2011, ground was broken on a $10 million, 42,000-square-foot complex on Buena Vista Road, south of White Lane. Made possible by a 5-acre gift of land by Bolthouse Properties LLC in its Seven Oaks Business Park, the complex will consolidate laboratory, quality assurance, manufacturing, distribution, information technology, community development, telerecruiting and transportation, allowing Houchin to keep pace with the community’s rapidly expanding need for blood and blood products.

          The new facility will also include a full service blood drawing site. Donors can rest assured the present location on Truxtun Avenue will remain open as a blood drawing site, as well.

          “The science that is keeping people alive is requiring more and more blood,” noted Kimm, who enthusiastically supports construction of the new complex. “The blood supply has to grow with advancements. Calamity happens. We need blood here to respond.”

          Houchin has begun a vigorous fundraising campaign to help finance construction of this vitally important consolidated facility expected to open this fall. Individual and corporate contributions are being encouraged. Opportunities for “naming rights” are available throughout the complex.

          For more information on the fundraising campaign, contact Greg Gallion at 661-323-4222. And make sure to keep an eye on our lobby or website for updates on construction of the new facility!

          Portions of this article first appeared in the February 2012 issue of Bakersfield Life Magazine.

            Countdown to Touchdown with Buffalo Wild Wings

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            Countdown to Touchdown with Buffalo Wild Wings

            Buffalo Wild Wings is showing its support of the Bakersfield community by partnering with Houchin Community Blood Bank to encourage blood donation right before Super Bowl Sunday through a Countdown to Touchdown Blood Drive.  From Monday, January 30 to Saturday, February 4, at noon, donors will be entered to win their very own Super Bowl Party featuring a $200 gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings.  The noon drawing will give the lucky winner time to figure out what to order from the restaurant’s extensive menu, so they can have “fandemonium” during the Super Bowl game with a fabulous party, or the gift card can be used at anytime for dining in or out with our new partner.

            Buffalo Wild Wings is known for its support of blood banks nationwide. Part of the Buffalo Wild Wings mission is to WOW people every day, by practicing good citizenship and helping to make the communities in which they operate better places to live, work and grow. We are pleased to have this new business in our community sponsor the Countdown to Touchdown Blood Drive.

              Team Aubri Supports Neuroblastoma Patients with Blood Drive

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              On February 2, 2012, Team Aubri will host a second blood drive at Houchin Community Blood Bank in honor of a special little girl who has beaten neuroblastoma. While Aubri was lucky enough not to need red blood cells, platelets or plasma during her treatment, other children being treated along side her did. Team Aubri knows first hand how important blood donors are to cancer patients like Aubri, and so they want to encourage more people to give blood. Here is Aubri’s story as told by her Mom, Lori:

              The greatest moment in my life was the moment Aubri was born.  At 37 weeks gestation, Aubri was delivered emergency c-section on Saturday April 17, 2010 at 4:22 AM.  My healthy baby girl weighed 7lbs 6oz and measured in at 21in long.

              On Aubri’s 6 month birthday, we noticed something different about her right eye.  Her pupil wasn’t nearly the same size as her left, and the upper eyelid was droopy.  It appeared as though she had gotten bit by something, or had an allergic reaction.  Being the typical new mom, I jumped on the computer to see what the problem could be.  I ran across something called Horner’s Syndrome and the fear immediately set in.  A couple days later, we took Aubri to the doctor and she was referred to a specialist who diagnosed her with Horner’s Syndrome.  Horner’s Syndrome is an effect caused by something interfering with the sympathetic nerve that affects the movement and blood flow to the eye.  The causes can range from birth trauma to a tumor.


              After Aubri’s diagnosis, she had an MRI done.  During the MRI, a 1cm x 2cm mass was found at the back of her neck.  This mass was found to be the cause of Aubri’s Horner’s Syndrome.  In less than 2 weeks from Aubri’s MRI, we had a biopsy done at CHLA and she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma.
              The mass in Aubri’s neck was a lymph node responding to a small tumor attached to it.  With the sensitivity of the location, the tumor could not be removed.  Biopsies showed malignancies in both the tumor and the lymph node.

              Aubri was then admitted at Children’s Hospital and spent 7 days undergoing testing.  Aubri had a bone scan, bone marrow aspiration, CT scan and MIBG scans to determine if the cancer was anywhere else in her body.  All of the scans showed the cancer was isolated and had not spread.

              Ultimately, Aubri had a total of four courses of chemotherapy. Thankfully, the follow up scans showed NO SIGN OF CANCER, and the tumor was half it’s original size.  Hooray!!!I immediately started sobbing.  Six months of built up emotions, fear and anxiety streamed down my face.  Three months later, Aubri’s first quarterly MRI showed that the tumor was GONE!!  Since then, her follow-up hearing, echo and eye exams showed no damage from the chemo.  I couldn’t have asked for better news or a better outcome!

              Aubri is VERY VERY lucky she was diagnosed at stage 2B.  Most Neuroblastoma patients are diagnosed at later stages and some don’t see their 5th birthday.  The fact we caught Aubri’s Neuroblastoma so early is a huge blessing!  Aubri went the entire six months without catching anything with her compromised immune system, experienced no unplanned hospital stays, and did not need to have her platelets or blood replenished.  Phenomenal!

              Support from family and friends had helped us through what was and will be the most difficult trial Aubri and I have ever gone through or will face in our lives.  I utilized social media sites such as Facebook and CaringBridge to keep my family and friends apprised of Aubri’s condition.  Thru these websites I found a tremendous amount of support, prayers and well wishes for Aubri and our family and it made our journey much more uplifting and overall a positive experience.

              I’m amazed at how much good came from such a horrible thing!!  During Aubri’s Journey I found peace with her diagnosis by advocating for additional cancer research funding, and holding blood and bone marrow drives to replenish the blood supply used by our local pediatric cancer patients and to help find bone marrow matches to increase survival odds for our community’s patients.  As Aubri’s Mommy, I found these were the things I could do to help her and other similarly affected children. The rest was out of my hands.  Aubri may have beaten her Neuroblastoma but there are other Soldier’s fighting the same battle.  It’s going to take an army to fight this war.

                CSU Bakersfield Athletic Department Supports Give n Go Blood Drive

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                The California State University Athletic Department is in the middle of the annual Give n Go Blood Drive being held from January 12 – 28 this year. During this drive, all blood donors receive two discount tickets to a Division 1 CSUB basketball game. Donors have already enjoyed the first three games of the series, but there is a very exciting men’s basket ball game on Saturday, January 28th against Cal State Northridge at 7:00 pm.  One lucky donor during the CSUB Give n Go Blood Drive will receive 4 free passes good for an upcoming game as well as a one-of -a-kind team signed basketball.

                To participate, just donate blood by Saturday, January 28th. We thank radio station Kern Talk AM 1180 for promoting this drive, as well as all our CSUB Athletics Department partners.

                  Heavy Use by Local Hospitals Depleting Shelves

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                  Blood NeededHospitals we serve have really been going through blood the last week, so our supplies are dwindling. The only type not in short supply is A+. A trauma today is also taxing our O+ reserves, so donors are urged to come in today, or as soon as possible, to help refill our shelves. Particularly needed is O+, O-, A- blood. Platelets are also needed to supply a steady demand.