By Rebecca Chaisson
Managing Editor
Jason and Katie Young of Mowata are real life superheroes. This power couple have saved a countless number of lives together and continue to add to their already impressive total.
Their Bat Signal is the blood donor bus that sets up each month at Super One in Eunice. As soon as the Youngs see it, they stop whatever they are doing to donate.
Katie donates a whole unit of her O negative blood approximately four times per year. Every time she donates, she saves “up to three lives”, totaling 12 lives annually. O negative donors are always in high demand because they are prioritized in critical cases, as her blood type is considered the universal donor.
Her husband, Jason, who is O positive, donates his platelets instead, which can also be split into up to three adult therapeutic doses (up to 12 for children). A single dose can help a patient through a treatment cycle, especially those with cancer, trauma, major surgery, organ transplants or bleeding disorders. Just one donation provides enough for multiple treatments, but Jason does what’s called a
“Power Red” donation, giving two units at a time. This means his blood saves almost twice as many lives as his wife saves each year – 24 lives annually.
It’s not a competition though. But if it were?
Jason said that he would be winning it.
“My blood type is O positive so they can take my red blood cells and run it through the filter to pull platelets, then they filter my blood back in. It’s supposed to be double the amount of lives that can be saved compared to a regular blood donation.”
Jason said his wife isn’t allowed to give platelets because she is too short. (A Power Red donation requires meeting extra eligibility criteria, such as higher weight and height.)
Katie laughed.
“I’m 5’2”. Or 5’1”. Let’s say I’m 5’1” and a half,” she said, “and I’ll let him win this one. He has been donating for longer and he is the reason I went in the first place.”
Katie said the first time Jason talked her into donating blood, she fainted when she tried to exit the bus.
“It took a while before I was brave enough to go back,” she said, “but now I know there wasn’t anything to be afraid of. I moved too quick the first time, so I always just sit for a little while and have a drink and a snack. It never happened again, and donating doesn’t hurt, so if you have a good blood type, why wouldn’t you donate it?”
Katie said blood donations once saved her father’s life during an open-heart surgery; Jason said his grandfather was the beneficiary to a life-saving local blood drive once before.
Today, the power couple encourage others to give what they can. One day, the donor’s family may be the one in need of it.
“It doesn’t take long,” Jason said of donating platelets, “like under an hour. It doesn’t hurt either. If anything, there is just a little tingling, a little numbness, when the blood comes back into the body.”
The married couple of 23 years have five kids at home. Jason and Katie said they will take quality time together wherever they can get it, even if it’s inside a blood donor bus.
“He’s my best friend. We love spending together and everything is better when he’s around,” Katie said.
That includes saving lives, as their quality time together has given the gift to approximately 180 people over the last five years. It’s hard to find another couple in town that can compete with that, but the host of the community blood drives, Vitalant, is encouraging others to step up to the challenge.
“When you give blood, you have the power to help patients right here in your community,” said Vitalant Regional Communications Manager Barley Juarez. “Every two seconds, someone relies on the blood already on the shelves for their lifesaving care. Donors of all blood types are constantly needed, but the need is greater for type O since it’s the most transfused and the most compatible in emergencies when there’s no time to test. This simple, selfless act truly saves lives, and I encourage everyone to consider becoming a blood donor themselves. Learn more at Vitalant.org.”
Vitalant reported the following upcoming blood drives in/near Eunice for the month of May:
Thursday, May 7, Lawtell Elementary from 11 a.m to 1 p.m.; Super One in Eunice from 3-5 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27, Sold Realty from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Super One in Eunice from 2:30-5 p.m.
Support our Community Blood Drives by signing up to donate at one of the supportive events listed below. As a thank you, Vitalant is thanking all donors who make an appointment and give May 1-31 with a chance to be one of the three who will win $10,000. Learn more about all the ways to support patients at vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant blood donor app or call877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). See vitalant.org/springgiveaway for more info.