Helping Others Is In Pinellas Educator's Blood

Frank Knight is serious about helping others.

If a 40-year career as a Pinellas County teacher doesn’t demonstrate that, his commitment to donating blood does. Now retired, the 75-year-old recently hit the 130-gallon donor milestone by giving platelets on Monday at OneBlood’s Tyrone Donor Center.

Knight began donating blood back in 1959 while he was a ROTC student at Florida State University. He continued to regularly give blood and platelet ever since with only a brief hiatus for medical treatments, OneBlood announced in a media release about the milestone.

It seems in March 2004, Knight went in for his regular donation and during the pre-donation wellness screening it was discovered he had an irregular pulse. A trip to a doctor for a follow up confirmed he had heart arrhythmia. One pacemaker surgery later, Knight was back at giving blood.

“They found out this is one thing we geezers can do and still not have any adverse effects from it,” Knight was quoted by FOX News as saying.

Since he began giving blood, it is estimated he has helped save or sustain more than 1,000 people.

Healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds are eligible to donate blood. During donations, a wellness checkup that includes blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and cholesterol screenings is performed.

To find out more about making a donation, visit www.oneblood.org.

As for Knight, he doesn’t plan to hit that 130-gallon mark and stop. It seems his next goal is 200 gallons and perhaps 300 someday, he told FOX News.

Photo courtesy of OneBlood

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