Impor­tant update on grant appli­ca­tion timeline

Impor­tant update on grant appli­ca­tion timeline

Grant Stories

Driving Life: The New Wheels of the Inland Northwest Blood Center

As families and neighbors begin the heartbreaking process of rebuilding after the latest hurricane, a small piece of Spokane, Washington, is on its way to help. The Inland Northwest Blood Center routinely dispatches one of its bloodmobiles to support communities across the country in times of significant crisis, including Ground Zero in New York following the September 11th attacks and Florida following Hurricane Irma.

A bloodmobile, a large van with the words "1 donation can save 3 lives" written on the side.
The Lifesaver 3 bloodmobile spends six days a week on the road, collecting donations from Spokane residents and delivering life-saving resources to hospitals. It will soon be joined by the brand new Lifesaver 5.

But these vehicles are also critical to the health and well-being of neighbors right at home in Spokane. The Blood Center’s fleet of “Lifesaver” vehicles crisscrosses the region conducting community blood drives at schools, businesses and community centers six days a week, every week, nearly the entire year.

Those donations then make their way to local hospitals where they help preserve and protect the lives of local families and friends.

A group of adults inside a blood donation facility, getting a tour from a staff member.
Murdock Trust staff see how blood donations are carefully screened, tested and sorted within the Inland Northwest Blood Center in Spokane

The Murdock Trust staff was fortunate enough to visit the Inland Northwest Blood Center during a recent trip to the area. In addition to getting a tour of the facility and learning about the full range of life-saving services it provides, and walking through the Lifesaver 3 bloodmobile that was funded by the Trust in 2007, the Blood Center also presented a sneak preview of the latest, soon-to-be-delivered, addition to its fleet—the state-of-the-art Lifesaver 5, which was funded by a recent grant from the Trust. Blood Center employees also shared some of the personal stories they’ve encountered while serving the blood center. In a heart-wrenching moment, one staff member shared that her own son is battling leukemia. His fight against the disease is supported by regular infusions of blood from Inland Northwest.

A group of adults inside a bloodmobile, a large bus for receiving blood donations.
Murdock Trust staff get an inside look at the bloodmobiles used by Inland Northwest

The staff shared with us that the new Lifesaver 5 will make their process even more efficient for blood donors by using an automated collection system. At the same time, the leaner design and more spacious interior will make for a more comfortable, relaxed experience for donors and staff.

We are honored to be able to support the lifesaving work that takes place every day at the Inland Northwest Blood Center. Thank you for sharing your story with us, and thank you for all that you do to keep our community members safe and healthy.

The post Driving Life: The New Wheels of the Inland Northwest Blood Center appeared first on M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust.