Arlington Heights Man Marks 300th Platelet Donation for LifeSource, Cancer Patients
He may share the same name as a former Chicago Bear quarterback and current University of Michigan football coach, but Arlington Heights resident Jim Harbaugh is not a sports fan.
But to employees working at the LifeSource Community Donor Center in Schaumburg, Harbaugh is definitely their Most Valuable Player.
Harbaugh, who turns 69 in December, is a twice-a-month visitor to the donor center, where he spends upwards of two hours donating platelets, the key ingredient for cancer patients who rely on the life-saving white blood cells through blood transfusions while battling the disease.
This past October 30, Harbaugh marked his 300th platelet donation, a milestone that he talked about while both of his arms were connected to tubes and a pair of machines as they made their bi-monthly collection.
Platelets are blood cells critical to blood clotting, which is the process that stops bleeding. When cancer or cancer treatment causes a person's platelet level to fall too low, transfusions with platelets are often provided to reduce the risk of serious or life-threatening bleeding.
During a platelet donation, a small portion of blood, about ¼ pint at a time, is drawn from the arm and passed through a sophisticated cell-separating machine. The machine collects the platelets and safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to the donor. After the donation donors can resume normal activities.
While donations of blood can be made every eight weeks, platelets can be donated weekly, up to 24 times a year.
Although he's on a first name basis with the donor center staff, Harbaugh says that he likes to fly under the radar during his twice a month visits.
"I kind of like to stay invisible," laughed Harbaugh when pressed about his heroism and the countless cancer patients he's helped through his 30 plus years of donating both blood and platelets. "I've been blessed with good health and always figured that I might as well do something with it; kind of a way to pay it forward."
To family and friends, his obsession with donating platelets is just Jim's way, as he's practically spent his entire adult life helping others. An Arlington Heights District 214 high school counselor who worked with dropouts for 34 years, Harbaugh then worked as a teacher's aid in a Kindergarten class at the tender age of 60.
His most recent exploration into the world of education has found him leading a monthly support group for Alzheimer patient caregivers at the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
After number 300, Jim's next goal is to reach 365 donations.
"I learned early on that it really does take a village. How are we ever going to get through life if we don't help one another? I guess I adhere to the motto that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
"We consider Mr. Harbaugh, and other just like him as our true heroes …and I am confident that if you ask a cancer patient, they will whole-heartily agree," said LifeSource Executive Director Chad Douglas. "It's the ultimate way to give back and to ensure an adequate supply of blood and platelets are always on hand at area hospitals for those who need it."
LifeSource owns and operates 18 community donor centers in Chicago and the suburbs. To learn more about blood and platelet donation, visit www.lifesource.org.