THE IMPACT OF PHILANTHROPY

Philanthropy impacts every aspect of the mission of San Diego Blood Bank. Our generous financial and blood donors support lifesaving blood services and medical research to advance health and wellness.

Click to view Impa ct Report 2022/23.

Blood recipients

BRYAN

Bryan was hit by a truck while riding his bike to work in May 2011. His life was saved by emergency surgery that required multiple blood transfusions. Bryan is a financial supporter, SDBB volunteer, and a grateful patient who experienced first-hand the impact of eight anonymous blood donors who saved his life.

ella

Ella was born with a genetic blood disorder called beta thalassemia major, also known as Cooley’s anemia. Ella received her first blood transfusion at 9 months old, and has needed transfusions every 2 weeks since. She will continue to depend on them for the rest of her life. Because of the blood transfusions, (that keeps her healthy and growing,) Ella is able to have enough energy to go to school, keep up with her twin brother and enjoy swimming with leopard sharks in La Jolla, hiking in June Lake and visits to Disneyland!

ANGEL

Angel was diagnosed with leukemia at age two. Because of SDBB’s generous financial and blood donors, Angel received many blood and platelet transfusions during his treatment. Today, he is an active and vibrant boy who is able to spend time with his siblings and plans to pursue a career in Pediatrics one day.

PRECISION BLOOD™

San Diego Blood Bank partners with local hospitals to implement a targeted DNA sequencing-based genotyping method to extensively characterize a patient’s blood type antigens. Typing both donors and patients with the Precision Blood assay will enable physicians and researchers to predict the best transfusion products for patients, resulting in fewer complications and, ultimately, better patient outcomes.

The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s grant of $725,825 in support of our Precision Blood program has been instrumental in our ability to increase testing efficiency, thereby improving SDBB's ability to meet the needs of blood recipients who require multiple blood transfusions, and to expedite rare blood unit deliveries to our hospital partners.

With The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s partnership and the support of blood and financial donors, San Diego Blood Bank saves and advances the health of thousands of patients every year.

Support The Precision Blood Program

San Diego Blood Bank is the primary blood provider for Rady Children’s Hospital

“San Diego Blood Bank is an integral part of the lifesaving work of Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. Recently, we had a patient with a critical hemolytic anemia situation. The patient developed a clinically significant antibody to a common red cell antigen, and less than one percent of all blood donors have compatible blood. With the dedicated help of SDBB, rare units were identified and delivered to save our young patient from potentially severe organ complications. It was a stressful, tenuous situation, and as reliably as ever, San Diego Blood Bank came through.”

— Denise Malicki, M.D., Ph.D. Rady Children’s Hospital—San Diego

More than 30 Hospitals Served in Southern California including:

Rady Children’s Hospital
Sharp HealthCare
Kaiser Permanente
City of Hope
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
LAC+USC Medical Center
Children’s Hospital of Orange County And more...

LIFESAVING BLOOD supply distributed 2021-2022

volunteer+mae.jpg — 374
Volunteers

Assisted during 2018-2019 at mobile drives,
SDBB donor centers & health fairs
with a total of 13,566 hours served.

6,389
STAT Deliveries

STAT orders are often delivered directly to an operating room or trauma bay and immediately save patients’ lives upon transfusion.

3,034
mobile blood drives

Were held in 2020-2021 throughout Southern California and contributed almost 50% of SDBB’s annual blood collections.

10-15,000

Ounces of Milk Collected Each Month

In 2020, UC San Diego Health and SDBB collaborated to build a milk bank at the 3636 Gateway Center Ave site, allowing the milk bank to tap into the SDBB blood screening process, courier collection of milk at the community donor sites, and deliver to regional hospital Neonatal ICUs. The UC Health Milk Bank has over 130 donors.

1,274

Umbilical Cord Blood Donations

Cord blood is donated by eligible moms after a successful delivery—giving life and saving lives! Cord blood is used for patients needing a bone marrow transplant or in research on new patient therapies. Thank you to the moms who donated their umbilical cords after delivery.

PHILANTHROPY

**$1,503,434 donated**

From 2021-22, 770 individuals and organizations contributed
to support SDBB programs and services

SIGNATURE EVENTS

46th annual Robert A. Heinlein Comic-Con Blood Drive

Over the past 46 years, Comic-Con International donors have given over 25,000 units of blood. We estimate that Comic-Con attendees have impacted more than 150,000 lives. Blood donors do not need a convention badge to donate blood. We hope to see you this year!

7th annual PADRES SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE

San Diego Padres have partnered with San Diego Blood Bank in support of community health by hosting six consecutive years of summer blood drives to date. Since 2017, more than 2,698 pints of blood have gone on to support thousands of patients in Southern California hospitals. We look forward to the this year’s 7th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive presented by Sycuan Casino Resort on May 31st.

Make a Gift

**IMPACT REPORT INCLUDES STATISTICS FROM 2021-2022**