Saving local lives one drop at a time
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on May 7, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Mollie Batchelder, collection specialist for the Red Cross, puts the needle in place for Southern Bank blood drive coordinator Genetta Goodman. Genetta gives blood as often as she can and coordinates blood drives in memory of her daughter.
Genetta Goodman knows -- personally -- the importance of giving blood.
In 1991, she gave birth to her daughter, Kara, who had a congenital heart disease. At 5 weeks old, Kara had surgery and needed blood.
"I asked, 'Can I give her my blood?'" Mrs. Goodman said. "They said no because it had to be processed. That's when I realized just how critical it is to donate blood. She got the blood she needed."
Little Kara had to have two more surgeries at 9 months old and 5 years old.
"When she was 14, her capillaries were growing into her lungs and she started bleeding internally," Mrs. Goodman said crying. "She didn't make it. But they gave her a lot of blood. They kept it at the end of her bed so I knew that if they didn't have blood, we were in trouble. I know how important giving blood is."
That's why -- for the past six years -- Mrs. Goodman has coordinated blood drives for her employer, Southern Bank.
As coordinator, she takes the goal the Red Cross gives her for each blood drive and gets people to sign up for appointments. She talks the drive up to everyone, in case someone decides to just walk in.
And she does not just encourage her co-workers to give, but people outside the bank.
To let people know how important it is to be a blood donor, Mrs. Goodman brings it to their attention that several Southern Bank employees have had illnesses and have had to have blood.
"When they know they're giving blood for someone they know, it means more," she said.
Memories of Kara come flooding back to Mrs. Goodman's mind as she's giving blood.
But sometimes, when it gets down to the wire and there are not enough donors signed up for a drive, that's when the prodding starts.
Some donors have been scared of the needle, so Mrs. Goodman has stood by their chair and talked to them to relax them a little. She's also worked the canteen, handing out drinks and snacks after donors have given blood.
"It's very important to be a donor because there is no replacement for it," she said. "I'm glad I work for an organization that encourages its employees to go and give blood."
Southern Bank sponsors six blood drives a year.
Mrs. Goodman also takes part in the yearly blood drive at North Duplin High School, held in memory of her daughter.
Although she's given blood since she was in high school, Mrs. Goodman set a goal for herself four years ago of becoming a VIP donor, which means giving blood at least three times a year.
One of her co-workers, Meg Reaves, 65, used to give blood before she had a kidney removed in 2004 and breast cancer and chemo in 2011.
"It made me appreciate the people who donate their blood to help other people," she said. "I've seen what it can do and it sure can make a difference. It saved my life."
When Christie Ivey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and then acute leukemia in 2011, she had to have several units of blood, too.
Her co-workers at Southern Bank have given blood many times in her honor.
"That really touched me," the 54-year-old said.
"Giving blood is a good thing and people need to realize that. You have to be put on a waiting list to get an organ transplant. How would you feel if you went to the emergency room after you got into a wreck and they told you they had to put you on a waiting list to get blood because it just wasn't available?"
Sybil Merkison, 61, who works at the bank, had uterine cancer but still gives blood, which she's been doing about 40 years.
"My momma was anemic and had to have her spleen out in 1999 and it left her with a blood disorder so she had to go get blood all the time," she said. "She got blood up to six months before she died four years ago.
"I think of her every time I give blood. I give to help people."
"Giving blood is the right thing to do," Mrs. Goodman said.