When It Comes to Donating Blood, the Needs of the Patient Come First for Shannon Stangler

Shannon Stangler, a Field Sales and Service Operations Manager for Mayo Medical Laboratories, has been donating blood for 19 years—ever since she stepped foot out of Mayo Clinic’s new employee orientation.

Donating Made Easy
Shannon began donating at the Blood Donor Center in Rochester in the Hilton Building, but she credits her continual commitment to the addition of the mobile blood drives at other Mayo Clinic locations, which began in 2009.

Stangler explains, “It is so much easier for me to donate when I can just step away from my desk for 45 minutes to an hour right here at the Superior Drive Support Center instead of traveling downtown. Now, I don’t have to worry about finding the time to donate; it’s convenient and fits right into my schedule.”

Giving Back
Stangler credits her motivation to give blood to the fact that she almost needed a blood transfusion when giving birth to her daughter.

She says, “There might come a day when I—or someone close to me—will need to have a blood transfusion, and I want that blood to be available. But not just for me or my family members, for the patients who come to Mayo Clinic every day and end up needing blood or a blood product.

“Once you understand the importance of your blood donation and how much it can influence other people’s lives in a positive way, you are energized to want to become a lifelong blood donor,” adds Stangler. “It’s that feel-good moment that keeps people coming back.”

How to Donate
For more information about donating blood in Olmsted County in Rochester, Minnesota, call (507) 284-4475 or email donateblood@mayo.edu. For more information about the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/donateblood or like the center on Facebook