Tomell's platelets, and those given by others, are critical for people suffering from leukemia, blood disorders and organ transplants. So in giving so freely over the years, Tomell has given the gift of life.
“It's an easy thing, and it helps saves lives, so why wouldn't I do it?” Tomell said as staff at the American Red Cross prepped him for the 300th donation.
Tomell got started with whole blood donation back in 1992, when the Red Cross office was next to Grizzly Grocery.
“When I'd go in, I saw this other group of people in another room, and they got to watch TV,” Tomell said. “I said, ‘Hey, what do you have to do to get into the TV room?' ”
Tomell was a bit down on his luck back then. He was midstream in a bitter divorce that left him debt-ridden. The fact that blood donors got some free food looked pretty good.
So in early 1993, he started donating platelets, a process that is more time-consuming than giving whole blood. That's why you get the TV or movies, as the process can take a couple of hours.
Platelets, which must be used within five days, are critical for people with leukemia, those undergoing chemotherapy and heart surgery, burn patients and organ transplant recipients.
“I felt like I was doing a good thing,” Tomell said.
Interestingly, one of the nurses working at the Red Cross back then was Barb Gorsh, who made her 200th platelet donation on Tuesday on a bed right next to Tomell.
“It's just a remarkable family here,” said Gorsh, who retired from the Red Cross in the mid-1990s but kept donating blood.
Gorsh and Tomell are two of only four people to ever make 200 platelet donations in Missoula, and Tomell is one of only two to make 300 donations.
“These people are just incredible, with all they've done for us,” said the Red Cross' Julie Kieckbusch Jones, noting that the unpaid volunteers can only give 24 times per year.
During the early years of platelet donation, Tomell met a medical technician named Debbie. Like Mike, she had gone through a divorce. Eventually, she mentioned to a third person that she was ready to date again and that Mike ought to ask her out.
Not surprisingly, they wound up married.
“I guess I've gotten a pretty good deal out of this,” Tomell said with a laugh.
On Tuesday, Tomell and Gorsh were feted with cakes and gifts for their notable service. And Jones highlighted their service as a way to stress the importance of volunteer donation.
“Right now, we use every platelet donation we get in Montana,” she said. “But we are always losing people, so it's important for us to keep the ranks stocked with new volunteers.”
Those volunteers need to have type A or AB blood, as that is the universal type for platelet donation.
Otherwise, you only need be 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health.
Neither Tomell nor Gorsh plan to quit donating any time soon. Tomell, in addition to his 300th donation, also celebrated his birthday at the Red Cross office on Tuesday.
“This is the day I was brought into life, so it seems like a good day to give the gift of life to someone else,” he said.
Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or at mmoore@missoulian.com.
Lend an arm
If you're interested in donating blood platelets to the American Red Cross, contact Julie Kieckbusch Jones at 327-2042.
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