A Family Legacy: Longtime Donor Spends Retirement Supporting Local Blood Bank

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree David Myers. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Army veteran and retired Amtrak painter and auto mechanic David Myers, 72, grew up seeing his parents volunteer. Service is something that he’s modeled throughout his life, increasing his volunteerism in retirement in 2012. He helps with Volunteer Delaware events as well as PAWS for People, a pet therapy organization. Even David’s 13-year-old rescue dachshund tried—and didn’t quite make it—to be a service dog.

David has inherited two particular interests from his parents that have informed much of his life. One is his dad’s passion for magic. David would tag along when he and his uncle would go to the magic club and decided he wanted to be a magic clown.

He also joined in when his dad volunteered, even as an adult, to do a bit of magic.

“My father did a lot of volunteer work in the church and nursing homes. He had a lot of different acts that he did, but he and his two brothers and sister were musicians. My parents would take the band and go play in senior centers and nursing homes and the VA Hospital,” he recalls, noting his mom’s part in handling the behind-the-scenes tasks of the performances.

Professionally, David became “Clicker the Clown” for birthday parties and school events, but these days, he does most of his clowning as a volunteer. He visits Nemours Children’s Hospital as caring clown Dr. D. Doofus and loves making kids smile.

The second inherited interest is his mom’s dedication to the Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD). His mom’s work there began when it opened in 1954 upon its opening. David’s sister was born blue and needed blood, an experience that led his mom to organize the first donor group for the blood bank. She personally donated until she was 80 years old.

“The first time I gave blood, I was in basic training,” David laughs. “They said if we gave blood that day, we didn’t have to go out in the field. It was raining, so I decided to donate.”

After the service, he followed his mom’s example and started giving blood regularly. Later, he helped Amtrak with their donor recruiting work as a blood bank ambassador. Aside from blood, David donates platelets–used to help blood clot–twice a month.  He’s now up to around 340 donations.

“The procedure to give whole blood takes about an hour, and you only have a needle in your arm for about 10 minutes. Platelets take two to three hours,” he adds, noting the challenges of finding donors with the time and willingness to give the latter.

His efforts have earned him a place in the Fresenius Kabi National Blood Donation Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for around 12 donors and volunteers across the country each year. His regular appearances at the blood bank lift the spirits of everyone around him, both staff and donors.

“He’s just affable. He’s so friendly and doesn’t know a stranger,” says Angela Williamson, volunteer community relations specialist.

When he’s not donating, David helps in various roles, one of which is in the canteen. There, he cleans tables, serves donors snacks and monitors them for 15-20 minutes.

“Most of the time, if you’re going to have a reaction, it’ll happen within those 15 minutes. Of the people who have a reaction, many have it before they even get out of the chair,” David says of the uncommon occasions.

Every aspect he and fellow volunteers cover gives staff the time to focus on giving donors the best experience possible. He also signs people up for their next donation.

One of David’s most regulated roles is as a mobile processor helping the team that collects donations on a bus. It required training and approval.

“This is the only role where a volunteer can touch blood. He’s packing the blood bags on mobile drives,” Angela describes. “They have to be put in there in a very specific way. They have to be written and documented on a piece of paper that goes with it.”

Angela especially appreciates David’s enthusiasm for the job not everyone is cut out for: Delmar the Bloodhound, the blood bank’s mascot. But with a background in clowning and magic, he is the perfect fit.

“We did the Christmas parade this past Saturday,” he smiles. “I love walking down the side and seeing all the kids.”

His friendly demeanor serves him well in training new volunteers, too.

The Blood Bank of Delmarva supplies 19 hospitals on the Delmarva Peninsula, and maintaining a steady reserve is crucial. Platelets only last five to seven days in storage, so regular donors like David are literally lifesavers.

“We never have enough blood donors. Many of the eligibility criteria that used to stop people from donating has changed, and the time frame has shortened that you might have to wait,” Angela explains.

A bad trauma, like a car accident, can require up to 100 units to stabilize a patient. Sometimes, it’s necessary for someone with a bleeding disorder. For David, the rewarding part about donating is knowing who he’s helping.

“A lot of it goes to the Children’s Hospital, and they need platelets in the burn centers or the trauma centers,” he explains. “Also, my brother has been pretty sick for a long time, and just recently, he had to get two units of blood.”

After logging over 5,000 hours with the blood bank, David works beyond any job description.

“He’d do anything for anybody,” Angela says, citing that in his spare time he’s often helping others build or fix a house or car.

In the past, he’s even volunteered his trailer to haul the blood bank’s old electronics to get recycled and has offered to drop off the canteen’s collection of aluminum soda can tabs to the local Ronald McDonald House. But his dedication to giving blood is an even rarer gift to his community.

“He gives his life blood so other people can live. It’s pretty awesome,” Angela declares.

At the end of the day, it’s David’s no-nonsense mindset that keeps him coming back.

“The way I look at it, as long as I’m giving, that means I don’t have to get. You never know when something is going to happen, and you’re going to need that blood and hope it’s there for you.”

Do you want to make a difference in your community like David? Find local volunteer opportunities.