Mother and daughter boost bond through blood draw tradition, years strong

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - KEYT NewsChannel 3 and KCOY 12 Central Coast News are teaming up Monday with Vitalant for the MLK Day of Service. The local blood bank and nonprofit is in critical need of each and every blood type.

Our news crew met up at the State Street facility with a special donor who's made the life-saving contribution for the past eight years.

"I'm actually someone who's hated needles my entire life," said Cheyanne Brooks.

Every eight weeks, the Santa Barbara woman dedicates one hour of her day to donate blood to people in need through Vitalant. 

"It's great for people who don't have extra money or extra time to donate and it's really something that's valuable," she said.

Brooks said it was extra school credit that got her blood flowing, years ago. Since then, she and her mom have rolled up their sleeves and made it a side-by-side tradition.

"It's kind of like our date night every eight weeks," Brooks explained. "We race to who's blood goes faster and who can do it the quickest and then whoever wins gets to .... the other person has to buy dinner afterwards."

Vitalant collects nearly two million donations of blood, platelets, plasma and other critical fluids each year.

Brooks' donation alone of one pint of whole blood will help save the lives of three people. Weeks later, she receives and powerful update.

"I get a text message and it says who received my blood and the reason they received it."

Brooks said she was notified that her last blood donation was used in a transfusion for a 24-year-old-man. She keeps his story and that of another recipient close to her heart.

"There was one that was for a car accident," she said with a pause. "It kind of just reminds you that you never know what's going to happen and it could be you on the receiving end that really does need that."

If you would like to participate in Monday's MLK Day of Service blood draw, you can donate at the Vitalant facility in Santa Barbara at 4213 State Street, next to the Dutch Garden Restaurant. Or, in Ventura at 2223 Eastman Ave., Ste. A. 

There will be giveaways and drawings for people who donate, including a chance to win a vacation to Hawaii, Cancun or Disneyland.

For more information about Vitalant, click the following link: https://www.vitalant.org/Home.aspx