Blood supply levels are at a critical low, so local musicians are joining together to increase life-saving blood donations.
For Seattle Symphony violinist Elisa Barston, this effort is personal. Her mom, Gilda, a musician and teacher, was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2016 and received blood and platelet transfusions regularly.
“It never occurred to me, of course, volunteers are donating their blood, their platelets, their time, their energy to make people like my mother survive as long as they can with the horrible disease,” Barston said.
One out of every four Americans will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime. It only takes one hour to give blood, and people can donate blood once every 56 days.
“I realized I could be a part of this,” she said. “I should be a part of this. It’s actually my favorite thing to do to memorialize my mother.”
The Music’s in our Blood program has a goal of recruiting 20,000 new and re-engaged donors. Barston and fellow musicians are leading the way.
“I go as often as I can, and I think about my mom every single time,” Barston said. “I remember sitting with her, and I feel like it’s the most meaningful thing I can do.”
Gilda’s quality of life and energy level improved because of blood transfusions. Blood donation allowed her to achieve the goal of seeing her final class graduate before she passed away.
The music community is tight-knit, and members are encouraging others to use the power of music to give life-saving blood.
“I think we love to come together for the sake of our community and give back,” Barston said.
To learn more about Music’s in our Blood, visit the Bloodworks Northwest website.
Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.