North Port, Florida
After giving platelets at OneBlood’s North Port Donor Center, John Csejka was walking 3 miles home like he does every 2 weeks. He sat along the side of the road to rest and a passing motorist, seeing his arm bandaged, pulled over and asked if he was okay. He explained that he had just given platelets and was taking a break. The young son of the woman driving the car excitedly said he had just been in the hospital and received platelets! The boy’s revelation made John’s day.
In 1967, John Csejka began his first real job at Blue Cross & Blue Shield in New York where they hosted blood drives. Because his dad was a regular blood donor, John decided to follow in his footsteps. When the technology for donating platelets was developed, he began giving directly to people needing them, mainly cancer patients.
John served stateside in the Air Force for 4 years during the Vietnam War and continued to donate. His sister later developed cancer and received blood transfusions. John has literally given gallons of blood. The way John see it, he is relaxing in a donor chair and sharing his ‘Gift of Life’ as a way to ‘lay down his life for a friend.’ In his case, his friends are many- all those who have received his platelets.
