Pint by pint, she’s donated about 10 gallons of blood

Just over a gallon of blood swirls through the veins of the average human adult, and over the last two decades Columbia Falls resident Patti Dorlarque has, pint by pint, donated that amount 10 times over.

In November, the American Red Cross presented Dorlarque with her 10 gallon pin to commemorate the monumental contribution she’s made to the organization throughout the years.

Dorlarque’s journey into donating blood for the Red Cross began in April of 1998. At the time, Dorlarque was in her mid-40s and her mother had recently passed after she had been her caretaker. On her way home one afternoon, Dorlarque saw a sign advertising a blood drive at the North Valley Community Building on Nucleus Avenue and instead of driving past, decided to swing through and see if she could give.

“The time just felt right,” said Dorlarque.

Unsure of what to expect on that first visit, Dorlarque initially felt nervous, but under the care of capable phlebotomists, everything went smoothly, and she’s been giving ever since.

Dorlarque now consistently donates every other month, and throughout all these years her experiences continue to be overwhelmingly positive.

“I don’t ever get the same person, but the phlebotomists are all real good as far as doing their job,” said Dorlarque.

This even included the time she was the “guinea pig” for a recent phlebotomy graduate, becoming the technician’s very first patient.

“She was great,” said Dorlarque. “No problems.”

Starting around five years ago, Dorlarque began receiving letters from the Red Cross detailing when and where her blood had been used by patients. She’s gotten at least eight letters illustrating her blood has been used in locations throughout the country, most recently at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. But her very first letter was the most poignant, stating her blood had been used in Shelby, where she had been born and raised.

“I started to cry,” she said. “Because, you know, you don’t know who got it, and you just hope that it helped them.”

Now retired from a 33-year career in telecommunications that began straight out of high school while she was waiting to join the Navy, Dorlarque continues to stay healthy and active, still giving blood without experiencing any detrimental side effects.

She attributes her vitality to trying to be upbeat and maintain a positive attitude and staying active “to a point.”

Much of what keeps her active, just like her blood donation, comes in the form of serving others. Dorlarque volunteers with Meals on Wheels and helps out at the Senior Center whenever needed.

Dorlarque can also frequently be found with a camera in hand at Columbia Falls basketball games, taking photos of the players so “parents don’t have to.” Several years ago she won, along with her husband Don, the Wildcat basketball SuperFan award, supporting the team not only at home games but throughout the state.

Dorlarque plans on continuing to give blood, noting the Red Cross’s statement that “every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood, including cancer patients, accident victims, expectant mothers and those undergoing surgery.”

“That’s the thing to do,” said Dorlarque. “I mean, because there are people in the United States and in the world that rely on people like us to donate.”